Week 2 - Current trends

Some of the emerging technologies and trends

1. Haptics technology – Is a feedback technology (using computer

applications) that takes advantage of the user’s sense of touch by
applying force, vibrations and/or motions to the User. Simple haptics is
used in game controllers, joysticks and steering wheels and is becoming
more common in Smartphones.

2. Contextual awareness – By combining ‘hard sensor’ information such as

where you are and the conditions around you, combined with ‘soft sensors’ such as
your calendar, your social network and past preferences.

3. Voice and tone recognition – Not only can voice and tone recognition be used
to confirm a person’s identity but tone recognition can be used to detect a person’s
health or emotional state. This technology will open new opportunities in security and healthcare –
with mobile applications.

4. Intelligent routing to devices – This technology will be useful

to, for example, local councils. While on the move, staM will be
able to provide the precise description and location of a street-
based issue using Smartphones and mobile devices that can
take photos and have GPS (global positioning system) support.

5. Hologram 6. 3D Printer

Wearable technology (also called wearable gadgets) is a category of technology devices that can be
worn by a consumer and often include tracking information related to health and fitness. Other wearable
tech gadgets include devices that have small motion sensors to take photos and sync with your mobile
devices.

Smart Watch- is a wearable computing device that closely resembles a wristwatch or other time-keeping
device. In addition to telling time, many smartwatches are Bluetooth-capable. The watch becomes, in
eMect, a wireless Bluetooth adaptor capable of extending the capabilities of the wearer’s smartphone to
the watch

Eye tracking technology – Eye tracking technology measures eye

positions and movements which are analyzed through computer
applications. Future laptops, smartphones and tablets could contain
thousands of tiny imaging sensors built into the display screen. Eye tracking technology could have many
possible applications, including:
• Law enforcement – lie detection
• Retail – recording, monitoring and analysing consumer behaviour to ‘tailor’ marketing to individual
• Safety - alerting and awakening a drowsy or distracted driver would save many lives
• Health care – assisting people with disabilities or paralysis to communicate (laptop) and improve
mobility (electric wheelchair)
• Human-computer interaction – using screen icons and a blink here or a gaze there.

Smart Glass - This smart glass can collect information’s from external and
internal. You can listen to music too while searching information.

Avatars, Surrogates, Robotic - This is a mechanical robot. It is having the

characteristics of a robot. They can do things like humans

Fit Bit Charge 2 - This watch is good for exercise. It can count your running time and the
distance.

Heart Rate Monitoring Device- A technology that will calculate and monitor your heart rate.

Internet glasses – Technology that can display images directly onto our retinas while not
blocking our sight is being developed. This technology can be used in eyeglasses and have uses ranging
from e-Gaming to military defense. Imagine these viewing experiences:
• Seeing building schematics and locations of others
• Giving a speech while information is streamed to your eyeglasses
in real time
• Receiving turn by turn directions as you walk toward your
destination
• Viewing virtual recipes while cooking without losing your rhythm
• Walking down the street, seeing one of your friends show up "on screen" 2 blocks and 1 cafe away

MASSIVE OPEN ONLINE COURSE (MOOC)

Brief History of Massive Open Online Courses (M.O.O.C.) In
2008, the Extension Division of the University of Manitoba in
Canada introduced MOOC or Massive Open Online Course to
2,200 students when it oMered free online course in
Connectivism and Connective Knowledge designed by George
Siemens, Stephen Downes, and Dave Cormier. Three years later,
Computer Science Professors Sebastian Thrun and Peter Norvig
from Stanford University launched a free online course on the
Introduction to Artificial Intelligence, in which more than 160,000 people were enrolled.

With the enrollment turnout, other online courses from Instructors Andrew Ng and Daphne Koller, were
oMered for free. Professor Thrun then established Udacity, an open source platform for Massive Open
Online courses, while Ng and Koller found Coursera. In 2012, The Massachusetts Institute of Technology
(MIT) and Harvard University developed edX.
WHAT IS MASSIVE OPEN ONLINE COURSE (M.O.O.C.)?
• Massive Open Online Courses are online courses facilitated by renowned college and university
professors
• aimed at a large group of participants with no prerequisites other than access to a computer or
mobile device and the Internet.
• Originally, courses could be accessed for free, however, a fee is required if you wish to earn a
degree or a certificate from colleges or universities.

Other notable MOOC providers are the following:

 The Implications of MOOC

1. By taking learning into virtual space, attendance

is no longer a determining factor in one’s education.
This makes MOOC learning a popular alternative for
those whose life situations make them unable to
attend regular schools.

2. Managing MOOC is relatively cheaper than

running educational institutions. By taking out the experiences of Universities – which are passed
down to students in exorbitant fees- MOOC addresses the high cost of education.

3. Analytic provides information about the learning process of students. Through the use of data
collected through analytic, MOOC provides a means to improve learning.

4. Since it focuses on connectedness as part of the learning process, MOOC allows education to take
place on a global scale. Connecting learners and instructors all over the world to one another to
maximize education.

The paperless society

The paperless society is a society where communication is done electronically and all forms of printed
communication have become obsolete. It is characterized by the shift from letters to e-mails,
newspapers to news web pages, books to e-books, and so on.

Implications of media & information

A. Media & Information improves communication & social interaction

The desire to make things better has prompted the emergence of social media, which serve as a
new avenue for communication and social interaction. It has become a powerful platform which
facilitate enormous opportunities for instantaneous and long-distance communication, meaningful
social interaction, and accessible information. Social media like Facebook, X, Instagram, & TikTok are
used extensively for the purpose of communication and interaction.

“Digital Media and Society: Implications in a Hyperconnected Era.”

1. Many people access social media platforms to express empathy and receive support from friends
and family, including in times of emotional distress. This enriches people’s relationships and their
ability to stay in touch, and the ability of friends and family to identify and help loved ones in need.

2. According to a 2015 survey by Pew Research Center, the use of social technology is linked to having
a greater number of close confidants, as well as a larger, more diverse social circle. Another Pew survey
showed that 57% of teens state they have made a new friend online, and 83% state that social media
makes them feel more connected and informed about their friends’ lives.

3. Social media can help to deepen relationships and facilitate the formation of support networks –
68% of teen social media users have received support on these platforms during tough times. A study
by Vaughan Bell and colleagues found that adolescents’ use of social networking sites enhances
existing friendships and the quality of relationships for those who use digital social networks to deal
with social challenges.

“E]ectiveness of Social Media as a tool of communication and its potential for technology
enabled connections: A micro-level study” by Trisha Dowerah Baruah.

§ Sharing of ideas - Social networking sites allow users to share ideas, activities, events, and
interests within their individual networks.

§ Bridges communication gap- social media bridges the distance among diMerent people. It oMers
platforms for online users to find others who share the same interests and build virtual
communities based on those shared interests.

§ Source of Information - Content generating and sharing sites serves as sources of information
for various topics. Users can search for content, download and use the content available eon
these sites free of cost.

§ Important customer interaction tool- Social media networking is perfect for customer
interaction, customer feedback, and customer support.

§ Important crisis communication tool- when major forms of public relations tool fail, social
media can be used extensively to communicate with the general public regarding any crisis
situations that might have gripped the nation or any organization It has a positive impact during
natural disasters.

B. Media and Information increase civic engagement and facilitate the creation of communities
and global village.

The power of media and information is manifested through active participation of citizens. Media
gives people the opportunity to be heard, seen, and recognized. It becomes a powerful platform
for information and democratization of knowledge to thrive.

It means promoting the quality of life in a community, through both political

and non-political processes. Civic Engagement includes both paid and unpaid
forms of political activism, environmentalism, and community and national
service. (youth.gov, 2020)

C. Improve Economic Opportunities

A great social media presence is essential for any business. One of the popular restaurants
in Calbayog City is Simple Taste. Teenagers and students from diMerent schools patronize the
restaurant because of their delicious foods, aMordable prices and cozy ambiance. Simple Taste
has tapped the great potential of social media towards the promotion of its business. The owner
created a Facebook page to help advertise the establishment. Their customers would post on
their Facebook page their worthwhile experience which enable other people to try the Simple
Taste’s long list of delicious menus of food.
 D. Improve learning environment

The availability and accessibility of media and information has redefined learning in the 21st
century. Its usefulness was strengthened in these trying times when the face-to-face learning
modality is academically impossible to be conducted in schools with the usual classroom set-up
since the IATF imposes the strict observance of physical distancing and reduced classroom
capacity by 50%.

DOWNSIDES AND RISKS: NEGATIVE IMPLICATIONS OF MEDIA AND INFORMATION

CYBERCRIMES refer to any and all illegal activities carried out using technology. Cybercriminals,
who range from rogue individuals to organized crime groups to state-sponsored factions – use
techniques like phishing, social engineering, and all kinds of malware to pursue their nefarious
plans (Latto, 2020).

INFORMATION DISORDER
Media can be used by individuals, groups, and other organization
to disseminate content with malicious, fake, and fabricated
information.