CCT205+In+Class+Responses


 * //__January__ 19th//**

__**''The classroom:virtual versus physical**__
Virtual classrooms are very beneficial and convenient within our __education__ system because it allows the individual to be anywhere in the world. For example, a student who’s all the way in Bosnia can still log on and be virtually present with his classmates and his instructor all the way in Mississauga, Ontario. It has given us the ability to learn within our own comfort zone. You no longer have to travel long commutes, check the weather to ensure there is no __snow__ falling or __work__ around your school schedule, all you have to do is __enter__ your login name and password and you’ve entered your classroom.

While I do find virtual classrooms to be such an innovative tool and an advancement to the way we learn and interact with one another, I still prefer the physical aspect of attending a classroom than just logging on to your computer and being ‘’present”. I believe that there are many benefits to attending a class where you can physically see your peers and your instructor. For example, you get to experience real human emotion and body movement, something that the virtual world lacks. Also, there is no room for spontaneity in the virtual world but within the classroom, random occurrences or funny situations happen all the time and while they are not a crucial aspect to your __learning__, it is still a memory that you can make. Also, attending a physical classroom requires dedication and giving your instructor and your peers your attention shows that you are are not a crucial aspect to your learning, it is still a memory that you can make. Also, attending a physical classroom requires dedication and giving your instructor and your peers your attention shows that you are dedicated. Logging on and being virtually present does not insure that you are really present. For example, you could be playing Xbox360 or watching tv while at the same time being ‘’present” in your virtual classroom. Ultimately, while I do see the convenience with virtual classrooms, I personally prefer physical attendance within classrooms because you get a better overall learning experience.

//**__January__ 26th**//
 * **TASK: choose one of the senses and explain to us: what you feel is a great example of it **

[] []

Perhaps the greatest example of a product that’s design is “not just functional, but beautiful, whimsical, or emotionally engaging”’ is all products designed by __Apple__. Walk into any __university__ classroom, trendy coffee shop, or library in North America and I guarantee that you that your eyesight will be bombarded with half bitten apples on the back of countless glossy screens.  Wherever you go, chances are you will see some sort of __Apple__ product along your journey. Whether it is an iPhone, itouch, __mac__ book or __ipad__, Apple products have very devoted and cult like group  of followers who are very passionate about the products they own. One of the main reasons for this admiration is because of the sleek and innovative style that Apple products tend to have. They  are contemporary, trendy, and often futuristic. Apple products are fully equipped with an Apple logo designed with a bite and is easily distinguishable from all the other products on the market.

<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;"> However, Apple was not always on the forefront of innovation and design. During the 80s and 90s, they were not as successful as other competitors. In order to make a change, they completely <span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;"> revamped their company and have now become the front runners within their industry. Even their store’s original and inventive design and exceptional customer service and product knowledge has <span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;"> put them ahead of the rest. Their products are now in such high demand that when Apple releases a new product, loyal Apple enthusiasts don’t mind waiting in line for days outside of their __store__ to <span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;"> get their hands on it. Owning the newest Apple product is like buying the newest pair of Jordan sneakers; it has become like a crazy fashion trend and a bold statement of who you are. With so many other <span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">products on the market, Apple is in a league of its own based on their design. Every Iphone, macbook, or Ipad owner I know is so attached to their products and vowed to never use another product <span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">unless its Apple ever again. The excitement that people get from Apple products is not transferable to products made from their competitors. For example, the new Iphone 4S has an application named <span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Siri <span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: medium;">that is unique to this particular phone.It is a voice <span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: medium; line-height: 24px;">automated <span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: medium;"> control system that allows the user to give the phone demands, which it responds to. Whether the user is asking for directions,the weather, or ====<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: medium;">responding to a text, Siri <span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;">will have the answer and is fully capable. This is an example of a design future that is innovative and unique to Apple products. <span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Apple has therefore garnered an image synonymous with appealing usability,stunning modern design, and ground-breaking products. They have definitely taken the world by storm based on these characteristics and will only continue to flourish within their market leaving all of their competitors in the dust. ====




 * //February 16th//**


 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">What ‘’digital innovation’’ do you feel deserves the title of revolutionary and why? **

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 126%;">The digital innovation that I feel deserves the title of revolutionary is the Xbox 360 Kinect. The Kinect has completely revolutionized how we play video games. Before, that one barrier that stood between <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 126%;"> an individual and the game they were immersed in was the controller. We needed to use that controller in order to play the game. Now, with Kinect, you are the controller. Using full body motion capture, <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 126%;">voice recognition and facial recognition, Kinect has created a new level of interaction that goes beyond the usage of a controller. All the player has to do is step in front of the sensor and Kinect sees you move, <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 126%;">hears your voice and recognizes your face. Instead of sitting on your couch and playing through a controller, your body’s movements will control the game. For example, if there’s a hurdle ahead, you physically <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 126%;"> have to jump, if there’s a dance routine, you physically bust a move, if there’s a ball, you physically kick it. Kinect is such a revolutionary product because it has created a way for individuals to interact with their <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 126%;"> video games that have not been done before.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 126%;">Also, video games have always been seen as having a negative effect on young children. Whether the reasoning behind the negativity is laziness or a complete waste of time, video games have never been seen as <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 126%;"> a beneficial tool. With the use of Xbox 360’s Kinect, playing video games can actually be seen as an essential and helpful device. Not only will it reduce the degree of laziness as well as make people more active, <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 126%;"> but it can also be used for educational purposes. It has been proven that games that educate using your whole body helps with learning and memorization. Not only is Kinect an interactive and energetic game, but <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 126%;"> it’s also beneficial. Overall, I personally feel that Kinect is a revolutionary product because not only has it become immensely popular globally, but other companies are trying to emulate by creating similar products, which displays that Kinect has created a paradigm of what gaming systems should strive to become.


 * //March 8th//**


 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;"> write whatever your thoughts are on deep packet inspection / piracy / congestion management -- eg. what do you think rogers should do about it **

<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;"> Deep Packet Inspection is software that raises a lot of questions and concerns with its intended purpose. Used by companies such as Rogers and Bell, it is a networking technology used to monitor what applications are generating traffic on the internet. While its intended purpose is to filter and examine data as a form of inspection for things such as viruses, spam, and intrusions, it is being seen as a form of intrusion <span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;"> on individual privacy and net neutrality. Because deep packet inspection lets you penetrate data packets, they can see and identify exactly what type of content is being sent. For example, If you send a personal <span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;"> email to a friend with photos, home videos and a personal message, they will be able to see that. Not only are your emails penetrated, but everything you do on the internet is being monitored. You may think that <span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">you are in the comfort of your own space and surfing the web alone,but the fact is with DPI, you are always being monitored. Being aware of this makes me very uneasy when using the internet. My privacy is very important to me which is why I do not have invasive accounts such as Facebook and twitter, which is a CHOICE. I feel like with deep packet inspection, I do not have a choice of whether my information is being monitored or not, it automatically is. As a result, it makes me wary of using the internet to relay important messages, even if I am not doing anything wrong. They are using the way we communicate as a way to surrender our privacy.

<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Although there are some benefits to deep packet inspection, such as insuring that individuals are not participating in illegal activities, protecting our computers from viruses, spamming, and also to insure that <span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">we have enough bandwidth available, I still personally feel that the cons outweigh the pros. For example, targeted adverting is something that I cannot personally stand, and that is all thanks to deep packet inspection. I appreciate the idea of this software being available as a means of protection and inspection of possible threats, but how far do we have to go to surrender our privacy but also feel protected? It is a difficult topic to discuss because in order to gain that security, we must compromise. Overall, I feel that companies like Rogers need to reevaluate their methods in how to monitor the internet because privacy seems to be becoming a thing of the past, more and more each day.