Steven Copeland-3D Printer

Technology is increasing each and every day and is becoming more sufficient right before our eyes. Inventions are becoming more complex, but at the same time are making everyday necessities easier and more convenient such as having a smart phone to check your emails at any time of the day or search the web with the flick of a wrist. Computer printers have been around for years but Abe Reichenal has changed the game. President and CEO of 3D Systems Abe Reichenal has currently been working on a printer that is making three dimensional solid objects from a digital file. “It sounds like it’s out of Star Trek but it is coming to a home near you.” This printer is a huge big step for the future in terms of technology. This printer transforms the product into thin, virtual, horizontal cross-sections and then creates successive layers until the model is complete. What makes this form of technology so special is that the virtual model and the physical model are almost identical. This printer costs $1300 and this technology is quite interesting as well as informing. Abe stated in this video that he wants kids from the age of 8 to 80 to experience this technology. “The possibilities are endless.” This printer could possibly save you hundreds of dollars after purchasing it. You could simply print out small plastic toys for your young kids to satisfy their needs and save yourself a trip to the store to purchase an overpriced plastic toy. This product is now available in stores and in my personal opinion is worth the price. I believe that this form of technology will change a lot of things in the near future such as the way people shop. This product is also known to last an acceptable amount of time before breaking or having any problems with the product. It is reliable and that’s what people look for. Overall, I find this 3D printer very impressive and a great contribution to the technology we have access to today. This product is with no doubt in my mind a game changer in the technology world and will eventually become a product in every household worldwide.

4/4/12 http://www.cnn.com/video/?/video/tech/2012/03/31/nr-kaye-3d-printer.cnn#/video/tech/2012/03/31/nr-kaye-3d-printer.cnn

Extra Credit Blog

Facebook Password Debate Stirs Deep Social Fears

Facebook, and twitter are among the Internet most popular social networking sites that link friends together, share photos, apps, and more. Almost everyone I know has either a Facebook, or a twitter, and uses it just to connect to their friends. These sites were simply created as profile where you can feel free to talk to friends, and update pictures, but recently this originally harmless site, is becoming less safe and more dangerous. In this article, it talks about the new idea that companies are asking people to hand over their Facebook credentials for them to look at whatever they feel necessary. Facebook can portray what type of person you are, but I only believe that to an extent. I disagree completely with the idea of giving your password to someone. Like they described in the article, it’s just like handing over the key to our house. Within our homes we keep personal things that you would never let strangers feel free to look at, just like Facebook. I know for myself I am a big user of Facebook instant messaging with my friends, and I wouldn’t like it, if people were reading my conversations about my personal life.  There is also a difference between who you are at work, and who you are at home. People keep it professional in a work environment; a company just because of their Facebook shouldn’t judge people then the company might be missing out of a hard working employer. Also, with the newest version of Facebook, called timeline it allows people to search back to specific dates or things, and it shows almost everything that has ever been shown on your own profile. What if there was comments or picture of things we did when we were younger? The past things on Facebook should not be a part of anything to do with getting this job. Companies are going to snoop no matter what on Facebook’s, but giving the password is far too much.  Hopefully not too many companies begin to ask their prospective employers for this, because it is a violation of privacy, and should not be asked. 

3D-Printer!

This video is promoting a ground breaking new type of printer that is being brought into the world by the amazing technology we now obtain. Unlike any ordinary printer, this is called a 3D printer. While most printers print off papers for various different types of things, this actually prints out real live three-dimensional objects. This sounds crazy, but it’s completely true! Shoes, clothes, any type of object can actually be made right in the comfort of your home. I remember when I was young; I always pictured a futuristic society with something like this. I never really thought I would be only 18 years old when something as brilliant as this was invented. It creates objects layer, by layer until it reaches it’s final product. For the amazing things this new printer does, I believe they are charging a reasonable price of 1,300. I was expecting it to be more expensive then this, so at some point in the future I definitely plan to purchase one of these. Within nearly a few weeks this will be available for people to buy. I feel as though this is really showing how far we have come with technology. The fact that we can actually use this in our own homes leaves me speechless.  This is a great investment for anyone, because it can show creativity, as well as convenience. This new amazing product will have so many benefits, because it will be convenient for people to just create what they want in their own homes. For elderly people who struggle just to drive to the store, this could be a great way for them to get what they need without the hassle of driving.  The only question I wonder, is will the printer somehow take over stores, and the economy? Will stores be losing money, because people will be using this? I also wonder if there will be any limits on what you can create, and how long the battery, or the ink lasts until you have to replace it. I almost think there has to be some sort of catch or complications. It sounds nearly perfect, and unrealistic to add this to society! Hopefully this is a great success, and I can’t wait to see what else the future holds!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WmDz7Q9_h6c&list=PL871FB7F2FE19494D&index=1&feature=plcp

Technology in Businesses

The article I chose to write about was called “A 3-D Printer Created This Shoe” it was published on March 31, 2012 on CNN. It was about a new high-tech printer that can be purchased and used in homes for a reasonably low price of about $1,300. This printer is capable of creating real objects rather than paper documents. In the video they showed the printer creating a variety of household items. In addition to shoes, the creator shows it making children’s toys, figurines, and iPhone cases. This allows users to have easy access to items they would have needed to purchase in a store or online in the past. It also provides the most efficient and effective way of manufacturing these items, as it creates them layer by layer, wasting no materials. Generating these items layer by layer also allows a level of intricacy that would not be able to be achieved with similar hand-made items.
I think this technology is revolutionary on both a personal use and business use basis. This would be an amazing machine to have in a residential house to create items in a short amount of time that would otherwise need to be purchased out of the home. The convenience of being able to make items rather than travel to find them makes this machine perfect for older individuals who have difficulty leaving the home and are interested in making items for their homes or even toys for their grandchildren. This new printer would also be great to use in small businesses. If companies were able to produce their own products right in their stores by using just one machine, it would greatly reduce their expenses. Even if they used it to make just parts and pieces of their product, it would be that much less that had to pay a supplier for. I’m sure as time goes on this invention will be updated and improved and the number of possibilities of what you can create will be greatly increased. As time goes on the cost of one of these printers will go down and may become a household product.

"Most finders of lost phones try to access personal data, survey finds" By Amy Gahran, Special to CNN updated 10:39 AM EDT, Tue March 20, 2012

Security software provider, Symantec, conducted a test to see what people do when they find a lost cell phone. They specially programed and “lost” 50 phones in a few major cities. The results they found were somewhat disturbing because very few were honest. Although about half of the people who found the phones did eventually try to return them, almost everyone had searched through the phone looking through media and personal banking information. So it is definitely a smart idea to have a password to log onto your phone, but even those can be hacked. This article warns us of the dangers of having too much information on your cell phone if it gets into the hands of the wrong people. I do not own a smart phone, therefore, this has never been a concern for me. Even if I did I would definitely have a password on it. Also, just to be on the safe side, I would probably not use online banking or keep any other important information or documents on my phone. If I did have to use my online banking at times I would play it safe and delete my password information after I finished using it. If I ever get a smartphone I would probably not let it out of my sight. Not only would I not wanna lose it because of the information on it but simply just because of how much I had to pay for it. It is actually sad that even if you don't lose your phone, you can still be in danger of getting it stolen. Smarphone theft is a trending crime in todays advanced technology society. I have heard stories of people searching through someones backpack to steal their phone and even of people getting jumped and beaten up for their phone. It is crazy that a cell phone has become that valuable to people. Up until this year I was still using a small little flip phone until my Dad decided it was time to get somewhat of an upgrade. I still do not have a smartphone but what I have will do for now, and at least I don't have to worry about getting robbed or mugged for it.

Extra Credit Blog

Extra Credit Blog: Security

            I read the article published by CNN entitled “Most Finders of Lost Phones Try to Access Personal Data, Survey Finds” by Amy Gahran. This article addresses the issue the growing problem of the security of personal information on smart phones. People really use their cell phones for everything nowadays, phone calls and texting, emailing, social media, online banking, taking pictures and videos, etc. People keep their whole lives on their phones and when it becomes lost it is such a big deal. There are many smart phones nowadays that are not even password protected and do not even have any standard security features.

             A recent study conducted by security Software Company found that many people try to find personal information on lost phones. This company “lost” 50 Android smart phones in several cities around the United States. None of these phones were password protected or had security features on them. These phones were gradually found and it was discovered that in 95% of the cases the people who found the phones tried to access personal or sensitive information such as email accounts and online banking applications. Around half of the phone finders attempted to in one way or another tried to return the phones to the company however still nearly all of them tried to access the personal information.

Blog #4 Tech for Business

Blog #4: Tech for Business

I read the article on CNN.com entitled “American Civil Liberties Union: Your Facebook Password Isn’t Your Boss’s Business” by Doug Gross. This article discusses the controversial issue of employee Facebook pages being viewed and used by their employers. This issue has been around for a while and many people argue that they are allowed to have their own lives outside of work and that they should be allowed to keep it private. However the use of Facebook as a reference and means of evaluating job applicants and employee’s behavior and activities is a common practice and it is on the rise as well. Nowadays when one gets a job many businesses require their employees to become a “friend” with them or to give the company their Facebook password.  

Recently the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) stated that this is not fair that more and more business are demanding access to one’s Facebook account as a condition of employment or for consideration as an applicant. In one instance a man working in Baltimore was confronted and demanded to give his Facebook password to employer who then logged in on the spot and check his Facebook account looking through pictures and messages. I find this kind of policy regarding Facebook and other forms of social media a terrible abuse of power and invasion of privacy. In my own opinion I feel that anything I do outside of work, as long as it does not have an effect on my ability to do my job, is my own business. I feel that if a company wants to look at my Facebook that is fine but they should not be able to require me to be their “friend” so they can have full view of my profile and I think there is no way a company can justify demanding someone’s password any more than they can justify going through my mail or listening in on my personal phone calls. This is an absolute violation of privacy and actually a violation of Facebook’s policy as well, in the terms and conditions. With this new policy that some businesses are enforcing people now not only have to be careful what pictures they post on Facebook and write in their statuses but they would now have to even make sure that things they said in private messages to other Facebook users and things that they wrote on other peoples walls, or things that are written on their wall by other people are all work appropriate. This practice of demand access to someone Facebook as a term of employment or consideration for employment is ridiculous and should be ended.