Security and Privacy

There has always been a fine line between the two and it becomes very confusing about where to draw the line between what needs to be known and people's privacy.

I believe that privacy should supersede security only in your own home. But in public places like airports, taxi cabs, shopping malls, security should prevail. The reasoning behind this thought is that people are already paranoid to some extent; either from what they see in media or personal experience. It's one thing to keep people secure, it's an entirely different matter when homes and personal spaces are invaded in the name of security.

Honestly, I don't mind cameras watching me in public, it doesn't make me feel any safer or more paranoid: right now it's just a fact of life. Unless you are in a position of power, there's nothing to be done but sit back and watch the battle unfold. I believe the only private place left is your home and bathrooms. Those right now are the only two places one can go where there are not cameras watching them.

But the moment governments move cameras into homes, there will be hell to pay. The home is a personal space, one that gives you comfort; but if there are cameras there, how can one feel comfortable anywhere? This is my biggest fear, is that governments will move cameras into private places in the name of security and people will mindlessly accept them into their homes. People have a right to privacy and security.

Prying into people's private places in the name of security is the worst thing a government or group can do. Human beings are naturally secretive, and invading that would only cause trouble.

iPhone

Yeah, you guys knew this post was coming sooner or later. At first I really liked my iPhone 3G; I felt like I was on top if the world, it was fast, had nice apps and was a good phone. Then the 3GS came around and right then I knew there was a problem with iPhones.

In the past people used their cellphones until they either broke or burned out the battery. Then smartphones rolled around, saying 'hey! I can help connect your business and make your life easy!' which was fine and dandy.

Then iPhones came out. If you notice, each release of iPhone has only little increments of improvement, between the 3G and the 3GS there was: faster processor, better GPS, and a compass. Now unless you're the real outdoorsy types why would anybody need a compass?

Plus there were many features iPhone lacks and still does for example an SD-Mini reader. Lots of older phones are better than iPhone just because of this feature, the ability to increase the storage without buying a new unit.
With custom text tones, apple is only now coming around to the idea of custom tones, which have been with other phones for years and years. It's really sad to see such a forward thinking company be so sluggish with changing times.

Apple wants to make iPhone 5 a global phone, capable of being on any network. The thing is though, motorola already beat them to the punch with the Photon. It puts the previous iPhones to shame and running for it's money.

Technology moves at a blistering pace and while everyone waits with bated breath to see iPhone 5, I can assure you that there are plenty of phones currently available that can match or exceed apple's next offering.

Steve Jobs, stepped down

There hasn't been anybody in the last 20 years who could dramatically turn a company around from falling flat to shaping the future of personal computers, cellphones and handheld multimedia devices.

But Steve could and did. First was the iMac, it took computing from dull beige boxes and showed people that a computer really could be 'personal' even if it was only in color. The next step was the iPod.

An ingenious way to transport peoples' growing amount of music, without the need for CDs or batteries; it was an idea that made sense with people and it took off. The original iPods were perfect for the need: people wanted all their music in one place, on one device without lugging around volumes of CDs.

Even though Apple was late in the game, it changed the landscape of smartphones forever. Gone was the complex menus, options and buttons; with iPhone, it just worked. It sounded like a crazy concept: the entire screen was touch enabled, but had to be precise enough to track multiple fingers.

Now with the iPad, everyone was very critical: it was just an oversized iPod touch right? But as time went on, the 'magic tablet' began to grow on people.

iPad is now the main piece when people think of tablet computers, same goes for cellphones and music players: people are mentally making those connections, that those are Apple devices.

Resumes/applications

I love the Internet. All the websites, video archives, shopping, blogs, it's all exciting to me. Except for one thing: doing applications and resumes online.

I know the Internet has made our lives easier, but with one I think it makes it worse. 5-6 years ago, the way you found a job was running around town to locations, picking up applications and returning them.

Now, it seems that handing in applications or resumes on paper are worthless. I know from first hand experience; they would not take either my application or resume, but told me to go home and fill out the forms online. That's the part that does not make sense to me; I physically drive to a location and present myself to the company, showing that I have the drive to do things but am told to go home.

But still they tell me to fill it out online, even though it's all filled out and with my resume. That makes me kind of frustrated, so the person who sits on their butt and applies at home has the same chance than me who showed up at the place with both documents in hand? Personally I don't think that's right, there is something very wrong with that system.

Chrome OS

You're thinking '...more google stuff? Really?' I'm here to tell you, yeah I'm fascinated by what Google does; and this one really catches my attention.

By now you've heard of the new Chromebooks floating around your Bestbuy that are running Chrome OS. What I find interesting is that it's all done online.

When you're working with Chrome OS, your basically online; all the documents, pictures, and videos you make are stored online too. Missing an important file for a meeting? It will be online, and when your Chromebook is online, it will automatically sync between the two.

The majority of our computer usage is online: watching YouTube, listening to music, surfing, chatting, video calling. So many things we do on computers is stuff we do online; Google saw this and looked to the future and saw that Internet usage is only going to increase, therefore they made an OS that is both online and on a physical machine.

I'm on the same page as Google: more and more of my time with a computer will be spent online. I can only imagine how much data mankind can make online in the coming years. If you had told people 10 years ago that most of their photos, music, videos, and documents were going to be made online they would have laughed.

It's only recently that we have really fast Internet connections that are reasonably affordable; meaning that the Internet is only going to get bigger, and more people wanting to be online and creating content, either for personal use or public.

Chrome OS can fit those needs and evolve with the Internet; making it the OS that will stand the test of time.

Food Awareness

So. I know this is a subject on lots of peoples' minds and there are plenty of weight loss options; but the real kicker is our society. 

Think about it: we associate many events with food, even the seasons. Summertime is here, we think about BBQ-ing, cold drinks, ice cream, and watermelon. Fall is coming and we'll be looking toward Thanksgiving having turkey with all the trimmings, ambrosia,  and plenty of desserts. Same thing at Christmas time. 

As a culture we are dominated by food. The worst part is that it's everywhere; on street corners, open 24 hours a day 7 days a week.  I mean sure nobody wants to be hungry, but at the same time you've got to exert some kind of control of what we put in our mouths. 

That's what I'm learning to do: simply watch what I eat. I can say that I've lost 35 pounds from doing that and changing what I eat. Me and my girlfriend have been eating healthier, lots more veggies, very few deep fried foods, and anything whole grain. Plus there is a satisfaction that comes with creating your own meal. 

I would much rather cook my own burger and fries rather than pay for it, it makes me feel good that even though it's a simple meal, it's something I made myself. 

Google Wallet

I'm sure by now everyone has heard about google wallet; the newest idea to come from the gurus at Mountainview. The process involves using NFC chips to do the transactions. I think this is a fantastic idea: no more lugging around credit cards, it's all in your phone. There are lots of places that will be already setup with Google Wallet, if there's a Fastpay option then Wallet is already there.

There are a few companies on board with this already but I think Google will need to stretch their power a little bit farther, and into a agreement with American Express. With them on board, Wallet could be implemented into a place like Costco; there are millions to be made from the transactions from the both of them on an hourly basis.

Another place Wallet might see major success is in small business. They might not be able to afford a full fledged credit card reader and pay all the fees associated with it; with Wallet in place, all it needs is a tap terminal and a computer with an Internet connection and presto! The small business has a credit card reading system backed by some of the biggest names in the business.

There are lots of things that Wallet could do in the future: everything from holding drivers' licenses to coupons. Even everyday ordinary things like making a reservation at a restaurant; just tap the terminal and you will be booked for a table, when hour phone goes off, your table's ready. Or even Passports, drive up to the border patrol and tap your phone to the machine, then show them your picture from the phone to verify.

There are so many things that we can do with NFC that Google Wallet is literally scratching the surface of what the technology is capable of. Personally, I'm very excited to see how far NFC will progress with different ideas in all points of life.