Session 5

Session 5

SESSION 5: REVIEW

Topics covered:

•  ICT and World Change

Brief Overview/ Summary

• ICT and World Change

What exactly is included under the bubble of ICT?

Some areas of interest:

1.       Mass Media

2.       Internet

3.       Gaming

4.       Wireless Technologies

5.       Interactive Telecommunications

6.       Information Systems

7.       Cloud Computing (What is cloud computing? )

8.       Knowledge Management

Data(individual pieces of information that may mean nothing until synthesized and analyzed) -> Information (compiled, refined, evaluated and interpreted)-> Knowledge (further condensation of information)  -> Wisdom (total understanding)

In terms of ICT as a driver of world change:

1. Have we captured the potential?
2. In poverty alleviation?
3. Dealing with the digital divide?
4. In education?
5. Access to information and the knowledge economy?
6. Application in healthcare?
7. Application in agriculture?
8. Application for providing for modern democracy?
9. Driving the development of the borderless world?

Quotable Quotes

“Today’s real borders are not between nations, but between powerful and powerless, free and fettered, priviledged and humiliated.”

-Kofi Annan, Former Secretary-General of the United Nations

ICT is the catalyst that facilitates the Knowledge Revolution

-Gurinder Shahi

Some Potential Risks/Dangers with ICT

1. Security concerns
2. Espionage
3. Invasion of Privacy
4. Identity theft
5. Exposure to corrupting influences (Cons, Pornography, Predators, etc)
6. Others?

Interesting Observations and Ideas/Key Takeaways

1.       Kinect (Project Natal)

1.       During the first half of class, we were shown a demonstration video of Kinect, formerly known as Project Natal. Kinect is what Microsoft has termed a “controller-free gaming and entertainment experience” What Kinect actually is, is a webcam like device that is connected to an Xbox 360 console and placed under the display, ala Nintendo Wii’s sensor bar. What Microsoft hopes to achieve with Kinect is to allow users to control and interact with the Xbox 360 through natural user interface, such as gestures, spoken commands or presented objects and images. 

2.       The demonstration video was totally mind-blowing. The way the demonstrator, Claire, interacted with the virtual character, Milo was absolutely astonishing. Milo could interact with Claire and respond to her in a very realistic and believable way. I knew that Kinect was another one of those webcam-interaction things, but I never knew that it was so sophisticated! Kinect has taken the way the real world interacts with the virtual world to a whole new level. I’m really excited to see the kind of innovation and new games that fully utilize Natal’s capabilities can be created by game developers now.

2.       Facebook

1.       Melissa, my classmate presented her take on an article “Why I’m quitting Facebook”. The article’s author details how slowly, bit by bit, Facebook slowly took over his life and became an addiction for him. Some of the things he criticized about Facebook were:

                              i.      It takes up too much of your time! Apparently, slightly less than 48% of Facebook users check their Facebook first thing in the morning every day.

                              ii.      The games found on Facebook are absolutely unproductive. I myself am guilty of occasionally spending hours wasting my time playing Facebook games, getting my friends to send me money so that I can afford that Cow I’ve been wanting in my virtual farm.

Issues for Further Discussion

1.       Kinect (Project Natal)

a.       Currently, Sony’s and Nintendo’s Playstation Move and Wii MotionPlus respectively both lack the sophistication and depth of interaction that Project Natal is offering. Will they be able to compete?

b.       While searching for the Kinect Demonstration video to attach to my blog post, I discovered this video. Perhaps Kinect really was too good to be true? You decide.

2.       Facebook

a.       What exactly is it about Facebook that makes you want to waste so much time? 

Personal Ratings

(7/10) This session would definitely be one of the better sessions I’ve had in TWC. I guess my hope of TWC sessions constantly improving isn’t as far-fetched as I thought. I can’t wait for Monday!

Video Links

Cloud Computing



Project Natal Demonstration




Project Natal Demonstration is fake?