Uhura, are we there yet?

Lt. Uhura's personal Log

Stardate 2718.68 

We managed to get thrown into the past for the millionth time!  Once again, we had to blend in as best we could and avoid tampering with the future. Unfortunately, being in the middle of a California heat wave, Spock's ears were problematic. 

I managed to get a position at the Apple computer campus where I went about locating some of the equipment we needed to contact the Enterprise. I must admit, it was fascinating to witness the development of so much of the technology that I use in the future.

Since we were there for such a long time, I strayed from the members of our away team more than usual and fraternized more with the people of this era. One of the events I attended with some of the friends I made at Apple was a concert by Sade the great British Nigerian singer. I grew up listening to her music and hearing my parents describe her as timeless.

After Spock and I gathered and assembled the right equipment, I was able to communicate with the Enterprise. We had another one of those tiresome chases and narrow escapes, but were finally able to get back to our own time. Unfortunately, it wasn't until after we got back that I discovered my computer tablet was missing...

Star Trek computer tablets

At the moment the ipad is king as far as computer tablets go. According to NPR, in the last quarter of 2010 7.3 million were sold around the world.  Their article said sales were assisted by their focus on China and , "revenue from China, Hong Kong and Taiwan totaled $2.6 billion, about 10 percent of its total revenue and four times the year-ago total". I believe the ipad will have a long, successful run thanks to the tweaking and new editions that will happen every so often (listen to Tablet Computers Are The Next Big Thing). However, other companies are getting on the bandwagon with their own tablets. Whether some other company will come along to challenge ipad's reign is hard to say. After all, it was only 35 years ago that Apple was created  (Apple time line). Who knows what company will show up in the future and what innovations they will develope?

Apple's ipad

The Consumer Reports website has a list of pros and cons for the ipad.  Some other pros and cons lists can be found here and here.  They all were in agreement that it has a long battery life and many entertainment options. They were split on if it was at a good price with the cheapest being 500 dollars.  Some of the cons they agree on are you can't multitask, the battery is built in and if it goes... you're screwed. They all were not liking it didn't have a camera. But the ipad2, which should be out soon, is rumored to have one.

Would Uhura secretly be pleased with her contribution to the ipad? That we will never know.

 Star trek helps Steve Jobs Intro Apple's New Padd ipad

Closing theme to Star trek XI.

You say you want a revolution ...

I read this article about Iranian blogger Omidreza Mirsayafi dying in prison. To understand more, I listened to an interview with Maziar Bahari, a Newsweek reporter and read his New York Times oped open letter to Ayatollah Alli Khamenei titled, "Let My Colleagues Go".



Omidreza Mirsayafi - AP photo




Maziar Bahari- Huffington Post photo



This is an example of the difference between living in a country that doesn't allow freedom of speech and one which does. In Iran, it doesn't matter how main stream the views expressed in a blog are, they will be under scrutiny by the authorities. And, are apt to cause the author a trip to jail. Factions within the government of Iran are vying for power causing inconsistencies in interpretations of what is allowed and not allowed.

In America, we are now having a discussion about what can and cannot be published because of national security which was brought on by the publishing at Wikileaks.com of 390,000 Iraq war documents. Also, a discussion about how strident the political discourse has become and its effects has come about because of the Arizona shootings. How they will change our first amendment rights is still up in the air.

Second Life Real or Not Real?

Description of one of the pubs at Second Life

As part of our assignment for my CIS 120 class this week, we were to explore Second Life a virtual world. You can create a persona (called an avatar) to represent you in the world. Both you and the world around you can be quite accurate (wander around the streets of Paris) or can be pure fantasy (interact with a vampire). How real everything is is up to you.

The division between reality and fantasy can get blurry. For example, the use of real money to purchase property in Second Life.   Second Life: Real Money in a Virtual World.
I've heard of virtual worlds being created to help treat veteran's PTSD and to train Nuclear Inspectors.  It can also take on a more ominous tone, Virtual Murderess May Land in Real Jail. So,the virtual world can have a positive impact the real world. But, it can also have the opposite effect.

Before this assignment, I've had an very limited exposure to these virtual worlds.  Since I do not have unlimited time and funds to play around with, I would rather keep my focus on the world I actually live in and try to make a difference here.

New Ways to Do the Same Things

I got into the first CIS 120 I attended! I wasn't too worried, after all, I signed up for five. Since I've had past experience poking around on computers to find out how to do things, I don't think this class will be very difficult.  There are ways to do some of the things I do quicker, which I would like to know. I would like to learn more about how to keep my computer secure. Now if only the Trade Act kicks in...

I heard this on NPR. It's all about how so much information coming at us affects our brains. There are plus and minuses to the use of technology. As with most things, it's about awareness of what you are doing and why. What do you think? I think the article brings up some interesting points.