Pervasive Computing: IBM's Autonomic System and the Cautions Necessary
Pervasive computing is here. It is being integrated into our society in as many ways that can be thought up. Chips are popping up in everyday objects. Cars, planes, ships, phones, PDA’s, refrigerators, and soon a person’s hat, shoes, and clothing. This is all well and good, the advancement of technology is something that has always and will always be a constant in our culture. The need for more interconnectivity is becoming more apparent in business, schools, and personal lives. IBM is working on a project, called Autonomic Computing, which will create a universal standard for technology and the integration of electronic devices. One of their claims for the necessity of the project is a quote, “Civilization advances by extending the number of important operations which we can perform without thinking about them." - Alfred North Whitehead. They say that we make cultural advances by taking the processes and procedures we have now and automating them, thus giving the freedom to explore new and unique ways to complete the left over processes and procedures. The advancement of the culture is a necessity for any society, but the relinquishment of control of certain processes has to be regulated.
IBM says that the problem is because of the rapid expansion of information and technology we as humans cannot keep up with the increase. Access to information is becoming rampant through the creation of wireless and handheld devices. These devices need a standard of production and connection to provide the greatest effect. IBM’s solution is a computer network that is “flexible, accessible, and transparent.” (The Solution, IBM Research) The system will...
... middle of paper ...
...lems are cause for worry. Humans ultimately need to have the control over the system, having the option to monitor and observe the system, limit its sphere of influence, or completely deactivate the system.
Bibliography
1. http://www.research.ibm.com/autonomic/ Autonomic computing; IBM,
2. http://www.doorsofperception.com/projects/chi/ “The design challenge of pervasive
computing,” John Thackara Doors of Perception, April 2000..
3. http://www.nathan.com/thoughts/unified/unified.pdf Information Interaction Design:
A Unified Field Theory of Design, Nathan Shedroff, Chief Creative Officer, vivid
studios, 1994
4. Halligan, Tom., (1999) “Lose the remote, take in some oxygen.” Electronic Design. p.
16 (database: Applied Science & Technology Abstracts 1983 – Present)
5. Electronics industry index from www.encyclopedia.com
Technology is evolving and growing as fast as Moore’s Law has predicted. Every year a new device or process is introduced and legacy devices becomes obsolete. Twenty years ago, no one ever thought that foldable and paper screens would be even feasible. Today, although it isn’t a consumer product yet, foldable and paper screens are a reality. Home automation, a more prominent example of new technologies that were science fiction years ago are now becoming an integral part of life. As technology and its foothold in today’s world grows, its effects on humanity begin to show and much more prominently than ever. In his essay, O.k. Glass, Gary Shteyngart shows the effects of technology in general and on a personal note. Through the use of literary
Texting however keeps people at arm’s length and prevents relationships from getting past a certain level of rapport. Text messages help people create distance between them and another person. This distance can lead to many things, like lost friendship. Friendships can be lost in text messages because of tone. I was texting my sister one day, who types in all capital letters, and finally halfway through the conversation I asked her why she was yelling at me, because that is how I was reading them, as me being yelled at. When she responded she was very confused, and told me that she didn’t realize that she had been yelling at me and was sorry. This can happen to anybody. People can confuse tone in text messages, and that can lead to one person arguing with someone who has no idea that they are in a fight. Text messages are also used by people to purposely keep others away from them, and by some it is used to hide. Alice G Walton, a science journalist with a Ph.D. in Biopsychology and Behavioral Neuroscience says, “People like to text because the message gives them the ability to hide,” (Walton). It is like the saying “a drunken mind speaks a sober heart,” When people are drunk they hide behind being it, and use alcohol as their mask, but when they are texting, it’s the phone. They are able to say what they would like, without having to actually face the person they are talking to, and
In the past 100 years, the world has completely turned around. The technological and computer revolutions have completely changed the way the world works. Henry Ford revolutionized factorial production through the creation of the assembly line. It increased efficiency and a basic standard of conformity among products, therefore making the company a lot more successful. The rest of the industry creating a nation-wide revolution based on efficiency adopted this new innovation. Following the innovation of the assembly line, a new era of development came into existence. In the 1970’s, computers were first introduced. Although they were as large as a room and could only play tic tac toe, they were the start of the technological revolution that made our society what it is today. Hundreds, if not thousands, of new inventions were thought of each year, creating new jobs and a new way of life. Records and files previously kept in file cabinets are now all computerized. Every person’s life is computerized: identification, police reports, one’s house and work. Almost every person has a computer, whether it is used for fun, school, Internet connection, graphic arts, or music. Computers have revolutionized our lives, whether that is a good or bad thing is the question. Do we create and control the computers, or have our own inventions taken such a hold on our lives, that they now control us? Aldous Huxley uses Henry Ford as the basis for an omni powerful leader who enforces the new values of efficiency through a totalitarian and mind-controlling government; subsequently, Huxley creates Brave New World to warn us of the effect that technology will have on our lives in the future.
The number of text messages sent monthly in the U.S. exploded from 14 billion in 2000 to 188 billion in 2010, according to a Pew Institute survey, and the trend shows no signs of abating. Americans ages 18-29 send and receive an average of nearly 88 text messages per day, compared to 17 phone calls. The numbers change as we get older, with the overall frequency of all communication declining, but even in the 65 and over group, daily texting still edges calling 4.7 to 3.8 according to the Pew Institute survey.
Imagine living in a society where an individual’s future and way of life is solely based on their gender. Does that sound preposterous? The United States is one of many nations to possess a Constitution incorporating rights awarded to every citizen; however, several rights are violated daily. The Fourteenth Amendment holds the most commonly used phrase, “equal protection of the laws,” allowing equal rights for every citizen of the United States. One of the most violated rights, under the Fourteenth Amendment, is gender discrimination. Many factors contribute to inequality between men and women in our everyday lives. Some factors include the early history of internal war conflicts, leadership roles, along with the physical build of men and women.
We all know that the daily commute can be very long and frustrating. Traffic can often cause long delays. These delays cause stress to you, your boss and the coworkers that have to cover for you until you make it into the office. Today there is a new highway that everyone can use to get to work. The delays on this highway are measured in microseconds rather than hours. It is the Information Superhighway. The Information Superhighway has the ability to connect together every computer in every part of the world. This kind of access allows individuals to do research, marketing, communications, sales and a wide range of other tasks normally completed at the office, from the comfort and convenience of their own home. This was the basic principle that started a new trend in business known as telecommuting. This paper will give you the information you need to have a good understanding of what telecommuting is and why it is becoming so popular. In addition, it will discuss how businesses design telecommuting jobs, how they work and how they are managed.
How often do we text? Text messaging is a very useful way to communicate; but, there are occasions where texting is unnecessary, for example in meetings, watching movies, interacting with family, and even in the shower. However, while texting can be overused, it can also help us get to know one another in easier and faster ways. In Natalie Y. Moore’s article “The Rule of Thumbs: Love in the Age of Texting," she explains how the use of texting it is slowly destroying the love between two people (Moore, 1). Although, some people might agree with Moore points of view, when she argues that texting is killing romance and it should be reserved for some notifications, such as “I’m running late;” others might disagree with this idea
We live in a world that can’t live without binary code anymore. Computers have pervaded so deep in our lives that they are now being called ubiquitous. With phenomenal increase in users, has come a phenomenal increase in data. We generate a vast amount of data through activities on our computing devices making it necessary to employ intelligent algorithms which enable the system to learn from and analyze this vast dataset. Fortunately, the advent of Distributed Computing has created avenues to access virtually limitless computing power even through mobile devices thus, allowing us to use highly complex and large scale algorithms. However, with all this power under the hood, it is important to make the computers as usable and receptive to users as possible. I believe this interdisciplinary paradigm will have far reaching impact on industries, governments as well as our daily lives which is why I am so interested in research concerning Information Management and Analytics, Artificial Intelligence, Human Computer Interaction, and Mobile and Internet Computing.
during the late 20th century, mankind hit an unprecedented surge of technological advancement and innovation. From the 1980s onward, our level of technology- especially communication-based technologies- increased exponentially year by year, giving us inventions (and their subsequent additions) such as the mobile cell phone, the Internet, email, instant message and social media platforms. In fact, the advent of the Internet and social media has created a smaller, wired world wherein an individual can communicate with someone from across the world in the blink of an eye.
Over the years, man has come up with countless inventions, each more resourceful than the last. However, as the computer age continues, mankind is threatened. Ridiculous, some may say, but I say look around! The computer has already begun to control so many of the vital functions that man has prided himself upon before. Our lives are now dependent on a computer and what it tells you. Even now, I type this essay on a computer, trusting that it will produce a result far superior to what I can do with my own to hands.
Long ago, people were simple and didn’t have many technologies. They used to take so much time in planning their projects, researching, and saving and recording their studying. Look around, this world changed a lot. There are cars, airplanes, computers, and many other technologies. Technology can be found everywhere, and we use depend on it a lot. One of the most important technologies is computers and laptops. Many people use them today in their daily lives and it eases many things for them.
The Internet has revolutionized the computer and communications world like nothing before. The Internet enables communication and transmission of data between computers at different locations. The Internet is a computer application that connects tens of thousands of interconnected computer networks that include 1.7 million host computers around the world. The basis of connecting all these computers together is by the use of ordinary telephone wires. Users are then directly joined to other computer users at there own will for a small connection fee per month. The connection conveniently includes unlimited access to over a million web sites twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. There are many reasons why the Internet is important these reasons include: The net adapts to damage and error, data travels at 2/3 the speed of light on copper and fiber, the internet provides the same functionality to everyone, the net is the fastest growing technology ever, the net promotes freedom of speech, the net is digital, and can correct errors. Connecting to the Internet cost the taxpayer little or nothing, since each node was independent, and had to handle its own financing and its own technical requirements.
aspect of our lives, we are faced with computers. They are in our classrooms, cars, and even used
computer. The electronic computer has been around for over a half-century, but its ancestors have been around for 2000 years. However, only in the last 40 years has it changed the American society. From the first wooden abacus to the latest high-speed microprocessor, the computer has changed nearly every aspect of people’s lives for the
From classroom activities to space flight and everything in between, computers are a vital part of daily life. Everything we do and every aspect of our life is affected by modern technology, like the computers. Computers let us dissect any sort of data. Computers make us reflect, hence we develop. Because of computers and the Internet, we can talk with individuals from diverse nations, and even see them via webcams.