Tech bolg10：Cloud computing

Cloud computing：

Software is no longer needed

Cloud computing takes the advantage of the high speed of internet transmission capability, all the data and services (all the software) will be put aside in the ‘cloud’ of computers. Users who can get access to the ‘cloud’ can freely use those services.

Look, there is a big cloud full of information above

Cloud computing is an emerging technological innovation that may be the next evolution of the computing world. It Just like one super computer which pools all individual computers together, all the information will be managed by complex software. User can access the cloud computing from anywhere, however, it’s much more than just information to be shared and absorbed. Actual computing power is the most precious part of cloud computing, that means you can use the programs and resources but do not need to install the software. Running Photoshop on your cell phone or running World on your car’s GPS system is not just daydream. Every application and computer resource you might easily run the only thing you need is a very simple computer which response for accessing to the cloud computer.

Will it change recent business model and our world?

Cloud Computing is definitely the way forward. It will be massively different in another 5 years from now. Cloud computing will enable us to make more gains in terms of time, efficiency, mobility and money – the 3 requirements that all businesses need to in today’s competitive market place.

It will be the Composition of all Medias? With the development of cloud computing maybe one day all the media will integrate into one. At that moment, we only need to bring one device which can reading the online newspaper, watching the TV, listening to the music, processing personal flies and also surfing the internet.

Killer application

hosted services over the Internet

Tech blog9: Flexible display

Impress flexible display:

Enables touch interactivity with feedback

‘Impress’ is a flexible display created by German designer that enables touch interactivity with feedback. User touches down on the foam and triggers the sensors which in turn communicate with an overhead projector.

Remove the technical stiffness from touch screens

It's pretty barmy stuff I found it really interesting. Flexible screen emerged several years ago, although it has not replaced the stage of touchscreen, but I think they may be the future of touch screen. Just like impress flexible display, it remove the technical stiffness from touch screens, bring the technology closer to the user by making it more human.

The amazing part of this flexible is that it can measure the intensity of the pressure. Slightly or firmly, it can tell and reflect on the display.

Killer application

3D modeling design, music creatio

Tech blog 8: PCubee

PCubee: 3-D in your hand

Pcubee is a handheld cube with displays on six sides which arranges five LCD screens into a box-like shape so viewers can pick it up, watch content or play with virtual objects inside.

3-dimensional space

The problem with current 3D technology is that you can only see around images the director wants you to see. Pcubee will change people’s mind that 3-D is all about stereo and having alternating frames to help the brain perceive depth. Each display of pcube shows one perspective of an image, giving you the illusion of looking into a 3-dimensional space. This lets you choose if you want to see the front, side or even overhead view of an object. The cube also lets users interact with the images on the displays. Besides users can poke and prod objects virtually using a stylus, shake the cube, tilt it or interact with a touch screen, all while retaining the 3-D experience.

Pcubee is based on the principle called motion parallax. Motion parallax is the apparent change in position of an object depending on the distance from which it is viewed.

As the video shows, pCubee is fun and easy to use.

Killer application

Game platform, a CAD-CAM platform and in museums

Tech blog 7: Visual Search

Visual Search: Use pictures like words

If you're out walking around and see something new and interesting — but kind of hard to figure out — what will you do? Ask passersby or you can ask “Google”.

Google Goggles is a visual search application. This new technology allows users to take a picture of anything, and Google will return search results and information based on that image.

Robot eyes in your phone

The visual search will allow people to search for more information about a famous landmark or work of art simply by taking a photo of that object. Send it to the internet from your phone, the photo will be analyzed and link to the information that might explain that new thing you're staring at. Although right now, the service is only available for Android phones however we can recognized that quite a lot website have launch the visual search service like Bing.

Integrated with codes

Goggles aim to search everything, although right now it is not good at food or pets or cars. However, it will soon integrate augmented reality powers. Considering QR codes , it will provided a broaden area for visual search to communicate with commercial field.

Picture, Audio, What else?

We come into a new age of Full-range search. No matter what you can provide, there are some services that can do search for you. We have words, pictures, audio and what else?

Killer application

Full-range search tool

Tech blog 6:Sixth Sense technology

Sixth Senses technology:

Wearable gestural interface

Sixth Senses is a mini-projector help people get easy access to the information surrounds them over objects' surfaces. It is composed of a camera and a cell phone, but it acts like an untouchable interface, the only thing you need to do is post a right gesture and then watch.

Get information with gesture and displayed it in the air

We are now living in a world which is full of information. Sometime you may feel that information is right there but you can not touch or get access to them. Although cell phone and Wi-Fi have brought us a lot convenience, sixth Sense makes it easier. It can recognizes the objects around you, displaying information automatically and letting you access it in any way you want. The micro-projector overlaid the information on any surface and then gets more information you need. In addition, the information is displayed in the air and manipulated using hand gestures. Just like what we have seen in the movie or cartoon.

The future

I think maybe in the coming future, Sixth Sense will get rid of the colored finger caps and it ever goes beyond the complex of cell phone and camera. Ultimately, we may get a “transparent" user interface for accessing information about everything around us. If they will that may change the way we interact with the real world and truly give everyone complete awareness of the environment around us.

Killer application

Wearable gestural interface

Tech Blog 5 : 3D Television

3D TV: Television with a new dimension

Several days ago, the first 3-D television was sold in New York at $3100, comparably about $500 above the price of a sized standard TV and Blu-ray player.

On the heels of the blockbuster film "Avatar," there's a wave of enthusiasm for 3D.This month, many television manufacturers are unveiled 3D sets. Avatar, the biggest box office success in history, has opened the door for 3-D TV.

3D: Separate your left eye from your right eye

With the help of "active glasses", 3D help us refresh the images from the screen.Two images, one for the right eye and one for the left eye, alternate quickly on the TV. Shutters on the 3-D glasses swap the viewer's vision from right eye to left eye at the same rate: 120 hertz, or 240 hertz for the images together. The TV connects with the glasses through a sensor that's placed between the lenses on the glasses.

The effect moves so quickly that it tricks the brain into merging the images and creates the perspective needed to see images in 3-D.

Industrial Saviour? Television with a new dimension.

TV manufacturers need something new to get people buying TVs. Over the last couple of years, TV manufacturers have experienced a sales boom as consumers upgrade to digital TVs in anticipation of thegovernment's mandated switch to digital TV broadcasts in February 2009. Although the amount is up, the price is significant down. Therefore, the flat screen revenue was decreased by 6% worldwide. This figure was first happened in the past 5 years.

Industry experts said the picture looks promising with a survey showing around 3.4m 3D TV sets will be sold in the US this year.

Wiil it be a saviour for the whole TV manufactures?

Killer Application: 3D TV direct channels

Tech Blog 4 : QR Code

Convenience access to abundant information

Form paper through mobile phone to internet

The QR Code is a way to use the camera of a mobile device to capture a bit of data, be it text or a URL. The user snaps a photo of the square bar code and an application on the device makes the translation. It is created by Japanese corporation in 1994. The "QR" stand for "Quick Response", as the creator intended the code to allow its contents to be decoded at high speed.

QR Codes are cool

The most interesting part that attracted me is that QR Codes are cool. They can help the user quickly access from paper through mobile phone to the internet.

QR Codes is a trend has broken out representing the other end of the spectrum. Through the phone's browser they can launch and direct to the URL which provide abundant information the user may need. In NY Times, they called that a “QR-Code enhanced pixel scarf”. Japanese are already used heavily. Consumers can preview movie trailers, make a doctor’s appointment, or pull up the nutritional info on their fast food, any object that users might need information about. A social application of QR Codes is a Face book app that allows people to create “Add to Friends” codes for bags and clothing.

Besides, users can also generate and print their own QR Code for others to scan and use by visiting one of several free QR Code generating sites.Some people in Japan already used the QR Code in their name cards to help people get more information about them.

Killer application: E-Commerce application, convenience-oriented applications aimed at mobile phone users.

Tech Blog 3 : Wii

Interact with the machine

As seventh-generation console, the Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo.

Distinctive feature

A distinguishing feature of the console is its wireless controller, the Wii Remote, which can be used as a handheld pointing device and detects movement in three dimensions. Another distinctive feature of the console is WiiConnect24, which enables it to receive messages and updates over the Internet while in standby mode.

Interact with the machine

The most important evolution for Wii is the new form of player interaction. You can play really with the computer or TV set. It will go further just than a game. Because it provides a way that human can interact directly with the machine.

I think there are a lot of further uses of this technology; maybe the serious games would be one of them. Serious games mean to use the rapidly emerging term for the application of computer game and simulation approaches to training and education – is a market space that is currently at the early stages of the Technology Adoption Life Cycle.

Interact with your family or your friends

Video games always emerge in the criticisms. People criticize that video game isolated people from the real world and isolate children from the family. Wii may change this climate, Wii sounds like 'we', which emphasizes that the console is for everyone, no matter how old are. And because of the easy interaction with the machine, all your family members can involved in the game. It provide a new way to interact with the people in the real world. I think it will not just be a innovation in the video game, it will also influence our daily lives in some certain extent.

Killer Application: interact with the machine, serious game

Wii Ads for Hong Kong：all ages are suitable to play Wii

housewife of 67 years old

business stuff of 40 years old

student of 11 years old

Tech Blog 2 : iPad

Wake up your Touch sense: Touch! Touch!

27/01/2010 Apple unveiled its latest product, the iPad—a thin, tablet-shaped device with a ten-inch touch-screen. Essencely speaking, it is a giant iPhone. With the large screen, users can make it an attractive e-reader and video player.

Jesus Tablet: The book of Jobs.

If the company is right, iPad could open up a new market for devices that are larger than phones, smaller than laptops, and also double as e-readers, music and video players and games consoles. And tablet computing promises to transform not just one industry, but three—computing, telecoms and media. Mr Jobs’s record suggests that when he blesses a market, it takes off. Not a joke: Jesus Tablet: The book of Jobs.

Wake up your Touch sense: Touch! Touch! Touch!

Tablet computers were in the debate for several years. The Kindle has done reasonably well. Meanwhile, Apple’s pocket-sized touch-screen devices, the iPhone and iPod Touch, have taken off as music and video players and hand-held games consoles.
Just use your fingers you can get everything done. You don’t need a keyboard, you don’t need a mouse, just do it with you own finger.

According to the Media Theories, McLuhan argued that new media technologies rework the balance of our sense, isolating and highlighting certain senses. Like print we used our eyes to read and TV we used our eye to watch, and now with iPad we probably start used our touch sense to feel the world. McLuhan also stated that a change in the dominant medium not only influences the senses we use but also alter our view. What will bring together with the touch orientation medium, we will look into it.

Killer Application: Tablet computers，touch sreen

Tech Blog 1:Google Buzz

Finding the relevance in the noise

10/02/2010 Google launched their new service"Google buzz".

Google buzz,in some extent, is a new way to start conversations about the things you find interesting.Honestly speaking, it is much like twitter. However, cooperating with Google Map, it can sharing the stuff with your friends on the internet in any place and locate it.

Convenience & Timeliness

It's convenience because it was built just on the Gmail. Bysides, you can use it on your mobile phone and the google map.

If you go to someplace and find something very interesting, you can sign it and shot some pictures or write something about it. With the help of "Google buzz" you can share it with your friends immediatly. More amazing is that it can use as a guideline for your friend to follow when they came to the same place.

Finding relevance in the noise
I think the most intersting and important innovation "google buzz" gave us is the "location". In the Mobile devices "google buzz"add an important component to sharing: location. "Where were you when you shared this?" Tagging with geographical information have an extra dimension of context.

Thanks to the real-time upload and real-time search, this innovation of technology will help us better organize and share the social information. Most impotantly, help us finding the relevant information faster and easier.

We are in the epoch with the large amount of information. According to the Vannising Horizon of News, the most anxious one we need is those really relevant to our lives. However , traditional media tend to tell us those new far away from us, the close news they gave us is quite limited. Thank to the internet, the environment was changed, and I think with the application of "GOOGLE BUZZ" application, the so called "local news" will go even further.

Killer Application: mobile sharing, locational information

a self-designed poster

Self-designed poster—my first job ^^

My boyfriend needs a poster for his lecture. It was about the mobile phone and social protection.I found materials from the website, like fire, mobile phone, hands and people. The fire and mobile phone together represented the big energy this communication tool has in the social movement. And the hand was used as the revolution symbol. Whelming the hand to advocate the people to participate in the social movement. I created two versions for the poser, two different styles. HoHo~~ the first one is more serious and second one is more fashion I think. My boyfriend like the second one more, what do you think? P.S: Sorry, I can't not upload the psd format picture, because it is too large...








Materials:

Image Exercise (2010-2)

The story of “Our Adventure Book”

The idea comes from the film "up" I seen on the way to Europe. The characters in the movie created a book called "Our Adventure" to record all the trips they had all the life long. When they grown old, the book become something really important for their lives, because it recorded all their brilliant and sweet time they had in the past.
I suddenly realized that we lost too much precious memories on our life way. I have taken daily for a while, but not anymore. I have written bolg for a long time, but not any more. When I look those words in the daily or blog, I can vividly remind something that happened at that time. Therefore, I would like to take the idea from the film, and restart to record something for my sweet memories. Therefore, this "Our adventure book" was come out.
And what I presented is the first part of the book. It was about the adventure we took to the Paris. It was a place fulfilled with fantasy, there were too many stuff I would like to present.
Step1: Seek the old fashion book for the background. Remove the rose. (It was beautiful but took too much space.)

Step2: Create some lovely images for us. I choose the Mc Dull and Mc Mug, who were very popular in Hong Kong. Select the "heads" from our photos, cut them and feather them and then remove them from the picture to the cartoon one. Use the erase to remove the place that was not fit my need and fixed with the background color from the cartoon. Finally, combine these levels into one. Select our new images from the cartoon.

Step3: Select some pictures represented the Paris. And manipulated them respectively. Enlarge the pictures by relevantly enlarge for 1 cm. And then fulfilled the background for black. And these pictures look more like a fashion style.

Step4: Move the new cartoon images and those pictures to the background I made in the first step.
Step5: Adjust the position of these pictures.
Step6: Create the shadow for the pictures.
Step7: Use the textual tool to write something, I wrote "Fall in love with Paris" ^^
Step8: With the help of Illustrator, I draw some love style. And use the "alt" and removed they to copy these "love".

All have done. HoHo~~

Image Exercises:

HoHo~~ You are right Photoshop and Illustrator are really powerful. I have not use these tools before, but now I was crazy with them.
So...I would like to creat a memory book for my advanture with my boyfriends and it is in process.Now you have see above is the coverpage of my adventure book.

1. It was created first by illustrator with the logo both footprint and the text. The lovely footprint was done by twister, a little strange right, but I like it. Maybe I will improve it later on.
2. And then I came to the photoshop , first choose a material of parchment from the internet. And then print the backgroud.
3. The final step is combine these two, pull the logo from the illustrator directly and automatically created a new layer. Choose the "free transform" and then adjust the direction I like.

Hoho, look forward to my further job~~~

Assignment One : Internet Auction

Celebration~~~~~~~~~for dear partner Susan^^

Group Members: Susan Tang & Joy Zhao

Product: Used Textbook
This item was sold within 12 hours

1.Why do we choose this product?

This is the textbook for COMM 7020. Susan bought it at the price of hk$300, though reluctantly. It is almost new, thanks to Susan's careful usage. In her opinion, maybe someday she would sell it.*.*

2.Where is the market for selling a book?

Amazon.com. Especially during these period -- new semester begins, students search cheap used books on Amazon.

3.How to do it?

Setp 1:Enter ISBN, then it will link to the book

Setp 2:Write the condition description and submit

Step 3:We provided the lowest price $52.11.

Step 4:Email alert!

Step 5: commission charge We should set the price higher.

Finally, Someone from Arizona bought this book.

Our final earnings: $45.94. It's greater than the original price hk$300 plus the shipping fee. Since the book was sold. You will not see the book in the list. But you can see the recent lowest price was $59.35, that was why our book was sold faster.
Link :
http://www.amazon.com/Investigating-Communication-Introduction-Research-Methods/dp/0205198260/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1264151890&sr=8-1zory

Great job have done! Thank again to my great partner Susan~~