TED Talk Privacy

In class, we watched a few videos on the topic of Data Privacy and Data collection. Each video has something a little different to talk about, so I'm just going to start at the top

In the first video, I heard from Juan Enriquez, who spoke about the similarities between an online record and a physical tattoo, while the two topics may sound completely unrelated, in reality, they are very much alike. In the same way an ink tattoo will stay on one's body for the rest of their lives, a digital footprint of someone will also live on and loom over the individual, even after that person's death. This makes me think about myself and my friends, and each of our online behaviors. My parents have taught me from a young age to never have a picture taken of me with a drink in my hand, or a cigarette, or anything of the like. Now I understand the lesson, because if I were to do something like that, it'd haunt me forever.

The next video talked about something slightly shocking. I didn't know the police took so many photos of civilians and their cars, doing daily mundane tasks. I think that there should be a revision within the law to discourage police spying on the people, but only using the equipment to identify potential dangers within the world.

The video after that talked about surveillance. This is also a scary topic for many people, because they do not really realize they are being watched with every time they open the computer to passing a toll road on the freeway. Americans are constantly being watched, and this could create a bad morale amongst citizens, which could be really bad going forth, and the government needs to tread carefully when it comes to privacy related issues in the future.

All in all, privacy is a big deal and needs to be looked at by both the government and by the people through a very serious lens.

AI

 In class, we watched a video about how AI could change our future, across many different topics and covering many other dillemas with the new machines. The main ones I'd like to focus on are the benefits of the modern invention like highly advanced modern medicine, as well as the cons, which could include a loss of jobs, as well as data mining and theft.

There are so many positive aspects of life that can be gained through AI, and my favorite example is through medicine. AI and powerful computers may aid doctors to find cancer cells before they are a bigger problem. This technology could help so many people, and that makes me think optimistically about hospitals, doctors, and health care work in the future.

However, all of these benefits artificial intelligence may bring into the lives of people may be easily overshadowed by the cons thereof. These drawbacks include the mass amounts of people getting laid off by their employers, as well as a worldwide sense of personal privacy being lost amongst all of the data mining machines that exhist. At the time of writing this, there are still quite a few jobs around that will definitely not be there in ten years, and some even by the time I graduate college. If I had wanted to be a truck driver though, my luck would be even tougher. In the video, I learned about a new type of truck that could drive itself from point A to point B. Although there would still be a driver in the cab, the truck would handle most of the freeway driving itself, making truck driving a soon to be extinct job. I'm also worried about the future in terms of data collection, because I am not as careful as I should be when I am online, and I need to watch myself when I opt in to services or allow malware (cookies) to operate on my devices. 

All in all, AI is a double edged sword, and if not wielded properly, could prove deadly.

Cassette Tapes Speech

     In modern history, one of the coolest inventions in my opinion has been that of cassette tapes. Cassette tapes have not only revolutionized the way people listened to music on their own, but it also provided a way for people to come together and enjoy each other's company.

    When it comes to the history of cassette tapes, there is a lot to talk about. First of all, to give the backstory on how these tapes came about, in 1963, the Philips company introduced cassette tapes to the world. The new invention was announced on the Berlin Radio Show in Europe, on August 30, 1963, and was advertised as a simpler way to carry your music with you. Cassette tapes also have a feature in them to create your own mixtape, which could be shared with friends, lovers, and family. It was also a revolutionary invention in comparison to the horrendous inefficiency of R2R, otherwise known as reel-to-reel audio technology. People were soon able to listen to their tunes on the go, and this poked the interest of SONY, who would go on to invent the Walkman in 1979. Unfortunately for cassette tapes, they met their maker in the early 2000s when CDs came about. The last major music label produced on a cassette tape was a song called 'The Last Kiss' in 2009, and afterwards, cassette tapes became obsolete technology. Even though they are now pieces of junk plastic to most people, they sing a song of innovation and progress for the world of technology.

    Before cassette tapes came around, there was no way to listen to music or mixtapes on the go, unless you wanted to carry around a record player or a R2R system around, which is near impossible given the size of these pieces of technology. For context, a reel-to-reel system (invented in 1935) took up an entire desk of space, and was only used by media and radio companies. Furthermore, this is exactly why the cassette tapes revolutionized the art of listening to music- anybody could do it. There was no more limitation on when or how you could listen to your media, but you were now in control of what you wanted to listen to, as well as where you chose to do it. No expert was needed to run the technology, but the user could now wield that power. Cassette tapes even went to cars in the mid 1970s, giving drivers the chance to be entertained while making their commutes. When the Walkman came around, it was a huge hit because a person could now have their own music with them at an affordable price, which in 1980 was 150$. The Walkman was also a massive hit because it made appearances in movies and films, including AIWA's version of the device in the first 'Back To The Future' movie.

    At the end of the day, cassette tapes were a massive stepping stone in the progression of music media, and were the preferred method of listening to music for 30 years. They also paved the way for the boom box to come into the world, which had a great influence both in terms of speakers and the technology, as well as culturally in the United States and beyond. All in all, we have to give some recognition to cassette tapes, in that they are part of the reason why music, podcasts, and the radio are more easily accessible today.