Current Event 2

Access article here.

Today, I went shopping with my brother-in-law and his wife On our way home, his smart phone asked him if he would like to go shopping at Sprouts, where they usually usually go shopping. It had recognized that, not only had we left home, but we were in the parking lot of a grocery store, and it 'made the assumption' that he was trying to find Sprouts and was lost. His reaction (he thought it was really nifty) was very different from his wife's reaction (she thought it was scary) on how predictive technology is now. The article discusses how software's power to predict can be detrimental to a person as well as being a useful tool. I don't believe that is completely the case. Personally, I find ads annoying regardless of whether the product being advertised is a product that is related to my most recent Google searches, and I always find it nice that I can find what I'd like to type in an option under the search bar, because that is a few milliseconds less that I have to wait for the information to come. I understand the concern that people have for the increasing "smartness" of technology, but I don't believe that is detrimental to humanity.

Current Event 1

Link to article here.

Technology is becoming not only more pervasive, but also more personal. Only a few decades ago, computers were rare, expensive, and used mainly by scientists and other professionals to perform calculations. Computers have become smaller and found their way into schools, homes and even our pockets. In this article, they share the results of a contest to find a better breast pump. In addition to changing the mechanics of how these pumps work, groups began to put together ideas for apps that could improve a mother's ability to know how well there child is being fed. There are already many apps available today that are being used to assist persons with finances, exercising, and scheduling, to name a few. As we continue to use and develop new technologies, they will continue to become more involved in our lives.

The problem with Spotify

My freshman year of college, I was introduced to Spotify via facebook. I was pleased that I could listen to whatever songs I wanted whenever I wanted. I didn't even mind that there was an ad about every five songs. After a while, I realized that the ads that were being played were different from the ones originally used, and I felt the new ones were very inappropriate. I decided to stop using Spotify because I didn't have the funds necessary to listen ad-free. Even so, whenever I think about Spotify, that one ad plays over and over in my head.