Monday, June 4, 2012
TWIF Flattener 10 - The Steroids
Use one of the current events sources linked at http://mrsfridaysclass.wikispaces.com/Current+Events to find a recent news article that relates to, supports, or refutes Friedman's assertion that the steroids were "flatteners." Your comment should include the title of the news article, a link to the article, and a summary of the article including an explanation of how the article relates to this point. Don't forget to check your rubric for evaluation criteria!
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Title: Tricks to Finding Food and to Paying for It
ReplyDeleteLink: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/05/nyregion/tricks-to-finding-food-and-to-paying-for-it.html?ref=technology
This article talks about new apps for cell phones that can help someone find a place to eat right on their phone. Foodspotting is one app that the author talks about it. This app shows pictures of different restaurants so one can see what he or she wants to eat. In addition, there is a way to find places to eat for vegetarians. Overall, the article wants to say that one can find whatever he or she wants to eat just by going on an app on his or her cell phone.
This relates to what Diamond calls the steroids because in that flattener he discusses how phone will become an essential tool for everyone in a couple of years. He talks with Mitsuishi about how the cell phone will end being almost a controller in someone's life. They discuss how new apps will work in the medical profession and even for everyday items like making payments. In the article that is what is starting to happen. People are using apps to find places to eat, which is something that everyone has to do. The apps and the cell phone are becoming an essential part to someone's everyday life.
The article, "Is The Cloud In Gamer's Future?" explains how as of right now, there are no new gaming systems coming out. When asked, gamer Ryan Block says that he does not need a "new console." Right now the public seems to be satisfied with the consoles on the market, so even if there was a new one that came out they would not necessarily drop everything to buy it.
ReplyDeleteThis relates to the tenth flattener in, "The World is Flat" because in the book Friedman talks about computer graphics as the fifth steroid. He explains how video games include "relaistic images and great sound" along with interactice and collaborative qualities. He goes on to explain how in the future people with interact with these games. The article describes how the public loves video games and are satsified with what is on the market, relating directly to what Friedman predicted.
Article:
http://www.npr.org/blogs/alltechconsidered/2012/08/24/159918978/is-the-cloud-in-gamers-future
The article, "It's time to reap the benefits of 4G mobile networks" talks about how 4G technology can handle mobile internet and is "allowing faster and more reliable mobile connectivity". In the article, it also says that more and more countries are starting to invest in 4G networks so that their people can connect faster and more reliable than ever before. These countries are not only the global giants like Russia and the U.S. but also little countries like Angola. This is so their country can develop faster and more efficient than areas that do not use 4G technology.
ReplyDeleteThis relates to the tenth flattener in The World is Flat because the author, Friedman, states that there are six steroids that speed up the other flatteners. The sixth steroid is wireless devices that will keep getting faster. This corresponds to the article because it says that with 4G people will be able to connect with each other faster then was ever possible with 3G technology. With each new technology release things will get faster. That is exactly what Friedman predicted would happen.
Article:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-19210539
http://www.newseum.org/news/2009/06/tiananmen-square-uprising--technology-kept-news-flowing.html
ReplyDeleteIn this article titled "Tiananmen Square Uprising: Technology Kept News Flowing", a tragic story is revealed. 20 years ago, Chinese students protested and fought against the government for freedom and democracy. This protest got intense quickly, and several were killed. The Chinese government did not allow the news to broadcast this event, but this did not stand in the way of other technological advantages. People spread the word about this event through cell phones, emails, and fax. Despite the ban on news coverage, technology made it possible for this revolutionary event to spread across the world.
This article relates to the tenth flattener "The Steroids" because this chapter is all about how everything is going digital. From work, to emailing, anyone anywhere can do things like compose and send an email, and check their social network with the simple press of a button. News on this escalating protest spread because everyone had the power of technology at their fingertips. Without it, no one today would know of the brave Chinese individuals who died for the freedom they so desired.
In the article, "Facebook doubles iPhone app speed by dumping HTML5 for native code" it talks about how Facebook is using a different operating system for the smartphone app, speeding it up, and allowing them to make money off of the app. It also is starting a new era in training people on how to write codes like this for not only apple, but for android as well.
ReplyDeleteThis article relates to Friedman's tenth flattener, because the wireless and internet steroid was just put on steroids. The apps on mobile phones were very fast as it was, but now with this new coding, and technology, they will become even faster. This is a great example of what Friedman is talking about wireless is beginning to flatten the world at and increasingly faster rate.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/appsblog/2012/aug/24/facebook-iphone-app
This article, "Facebook Updates IPhone App to Speed it Up" explains how facebook company made a new version of the facebook application for iPods/iPhones that would be speedier and more efficient to facebook users.
ReplyDeleteThis articles relates to the tenth flattener, because facebook was put on steroids. It is not more accessible and easier to use for the public. People can now communicate with others faster. The article also explained how facebook started experimenting with advertisements. Advertisements are a steroid in a way- they spread more knowledge about the website and broadcasted it to the world, and "amplify" the other flatteners (as mentioned in the book).
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=159922541
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteIn the article "India’s north-east A neglected crisis Violence in distant Assam boils over in the rest of the country" the author talks about violence that has been occuring Assum India. It states that many Indians had to flee for the lives. 400,000-500,000 Indians are left homeless in Assam. The cause for this was video messages desighned to create religious hate in the area. The author states how moblie phones played a huge role in this event. It states that people recieved text messages warning easteners. They also played a role beacsue they recieved video messages of the incident.
ReplyDeleteThis article relates to flattener #10 beacuse in the flattener it talks about how information can be spread. In the flattener it talks about camera phones. In the article it talks about how mobile phones with cameras played a role in spreading information. That is how the article relates to the flattener.
http://www.economist.com/node/21560901
“Got broadband? Access now extends to 94 percent of Americans”
ReplyDeletehttp://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Society/2012/0824/Got-broadband-Access-now-extends-to-94-percent-of-Americans
This article reports that 94 percent of Americans, 15 percent more than a decade ago, now access the internet through broadband connection. According to several reports, the government has increased computing ability (Steroid #1) by investing in high-quality fiber optics cables. In addition, the article states that internet access is a basic necessity in this society. Government contribution to the advancement of this system, through the 1996 Telecommunications Act, has taken great steps in establishing greater telecommunication capabilities. Nevertheless, many are aiming to accelerate this process.
Just as Friedman predicted, these steroids constantly increase both the speed and power of the ten forces flattening of the world. The fact that the government is backing the installation of advanced internet connection systems demonstrates the notion that the internet plays a key role in the lives of all Americans. With the gap between real life and virtual life coming to a close, the desire to continually upgrade this technology will forever exist. This will expand computing to regions of the world where internet connection is unavailable. In time, all societies will utilize the internet is some manner.