What interests me the most about technology around the world is the internet itself. When you take a moment to actually think about what the internet can do it never ceases to blow my mind. Here we are sitting in front of this glowing box that can do almost anything. The information available is incredible and it’s hard to believe that society functioned without it. It has made everyday life so much easier in so many ways. The idea of Google is almost unbelievable. You sit down and don’t know a topic, so you Google it and seconds later you are now an expert. It amazes me that all of this information is on the internet. In addition to the information, we are all connected. On the internet you can contact people all over the world, stay in touch with relatives, or make new friends. Shopping, banking, research and millions of other things are now at the palm of your hand. The internet has opened a world of possibilities and I think we take for granted to often how much information we really have. I think the internet, needless to say, is amazing and I can’t imagine how difficult checking the weather, checking sports scores, watching movies, or writing papers would be without it. The internet has improved the overall quality of life for people throughout the world.

Should executors be allowed access to a deceased persons’ email and Facebook accounts?

Yes, I believe that people should have access to a deceased persons’ email and Facebook accounts. I think that in this situation the person that should be given the access to these accounts should be the same person who is given all of the deceased person’s material assets. So if a mother dies and the daughter is given the mothers estate, the access to the mother’s digital information should also be given to the daughter as well. As the article mentioned, people used to lock things up with a lock and key but now it’s with passwords over the internet. So the same way that someone is given access to a deceased persons safe deposit box after they die, that person should be given their digital information as well. Maybe a way to settle this problem would be if people were advised to specify their requests in a will. Much like people will their property or material assets to people when they die, maybe people would want to do the same with digital info. Also if a person is against giving up their digital information after they die maybe their information can be deleted for them as per their requests in their will. This is a very gray area in the law but in my opinion digital information that is password protected on the internet should be handled the same way that a locked safe of a deceased person is handled.

Why would technology companies like Google be opposed to laws that allow other people to access a user’s account after that person dies?

I think a company like Google would be opposed to this because I think it makes them look bad. People are very paranoid that their information is too accessible on the internet, and if new laws are implemented that may force Google to give the information of the deceased it might scare people away. If people know that when they die their digital information will be released, it might freak them out. They will think that their privacy only lasts as long as they are alive. Now some people might not mind that idea but I think it would bother other people knowing that their information may be in the wrong hands. So, to sum it up I think this would hurt Google’s reputation and it would prove the paranoia that all your info is indeed saved and these big companies can assess, and use, that information very easily without your consent.

I was born and raised in the capital city of Guyana in the mid 1980’s.  As a little girl growing up I remember always having a television. However, I could never forget the excitement of being around for the installment of a landline in our home in 1995.  So many things have changed since then and even so since I’ve left.

The use of cellphones and computers in Guyana has significantly increased over the past few years. It’s so easily accessible and available every one has one. Almost every home has a working Internet connection.  Social networking- Facebook, Twitter, Jabber- are all big uses of technology in my home country.  As with everywhere else the uses of technological services vary.  Machines are used to simplify and help in the fields of medicine, education and transportation.

Devi Ramroop

I come from a former Soviet Republics, Moldova. My country is struggling with the legacy of a vast bureaucracy and corruption. However, the spread of technology offers real opportunities for empowering citizens for economic and social growth.
Moldova’s Governance e-Transformation (GeT) project is intended to modernize and improve public sector governance in Moldova, give citizens access to government documents and data for effective public use, improve the investment climate, and increase global competitiveness.By 2016, at least one-quarter of citizens are expected to access public services online or through mobile devices, thanks to GeT-supported programs.
As mobile penetration reaches 90 percent of the population, and Internet usage increases across the country, the Government of Moldova has made a commitment to using these communication channels for improved governance and citizen participation.
Besides the slow development of the country I am proud to say that Moldova has a fast Internet speed. Net Index, a site connected to the web diagnostics company Ookla, has a chart that shows Latvia, Moldova and Lithuania in the top ten, with the United States at 29.
Moldova government is developing digital transformation policy by stimulating innovations from citizens.

I was born and raised in the capital city of Guyana in the mid 1980’s.  As a little girl growing up I remember always having a television. However, I could never forget the excitement of being around for the installment of a landline in our home in 1995.  So many things have changed since then and even so since I’ve left.

The use of cellphones and computers in Guyana has significantly increased over the past few years. It’s so easily accessible and available every one has one. Almost every home has a working Internet connection.  Social networking- Facebook, Twitter, Jabber- are all big uses of technology in my home country.  As with everywhere else the uses of technological services vary.  Machines are used to simplify and help in the fields of medicine, education and transportation.

Devi Ramroop

What is going to happen to Google if they are found guilty of violating anti-trust laws?

Should Google be found guilty of violating anti-trust laws, in my believe, they will have to pay a fine, and stop their unlawful actions. There is no way a giant like Google will be eliminated, taken out of the market. It is a profitable business, that pays taxes, develops something new and worthy, employs great minds, and treats them fairly. Closing Google will not create and Internet success. If there were worthy competitors to Google, they would not be petrified by Google “monopoly.”

http://us.cnn.com/2012/12/06/opinion/andrew-keen-google-antitrust/index.html?iid=article_sidebar

How is Google using its monopoly of the Internet to further its own interests?

By obtaining more information on any subject, Google became the number one search engine. That led to the argument that Google is a monopoly. By the video,  any search you do on Google is a review from Google. This is profitable, and definitely competition resistant. It may be good for business, and for customers as long as the information provided is fair and true. If Google could manage to provide the consumer with certain information by going out in the field and doing a personal research, and then sharing the experience, that is not that bad. Extra work is rewarding. And the reward in this case is the first place as a search engine.

http://us.cnn.com/2012/12/06/opinion/andrew-keen-google-antitrust/index.html?iid=article_sidebar

Why is GoPro’s customer base so loyal?

GoPro maintains a loyal customer base for a few reasons.  The company’s employees share the same interests as the customers being skydivers and surfers themselves. GoPro also features videos they find on Youtube and Vimeo that were shot with GoPro posting them on their website as well as sending out e-mails to their customers with links to their chosen video of the week.

How is GoPro able to compete in the highly competitive camera market against giants such as Nikon, Canon, Sony, Fuji, and Olympus?

GoPro is able to prosper in the highly competitive camera market because it has such an inexpensive, unique product.  Its small size, versatility, and ability to shoot professional quality video puts GoPro in a league of its own.

http://www.cnn.com/2012/10/22/tech/mobile/gopro-hero3/index.html?hpt=te_r1

Kevin Meltzer

“Windows 8 vs. Windows RT: It matters. Let’s explain.”

After reading the article, here are my responses to the two questions:

How will Windows 8 change the way that users interact with their devices:

Windows has been the same for almost 20 years but big changes came with the release of their new operating system “windows 8” a few months ago.  Users were confronted with extreme changes to both the look and feel of windows.  Windows 8 introduces a new interface built around a touch centric start screen rather than its traditional start button. Pointing and clicking a mouse is no longer the only way of selection.  The operating system facilitates devices with touch interfaces.  Windows 8 can run both on tablets and on traditional computers, it can be fully controlled with touches, swipes and gestures, and it still gives users full access to all the good old Microsoft stuff: documents, spreadsheets.  Microsoft has changed the design of Windows to adapt the Operating System to our new multi-device world. So whether you’re playing a game on a desktop PC, checking updates on an ultra book or  reading an ebook on a tablet, Windows 8 can serve as the operating system in each hardware scenario.

What is a Start app:

Start apps are a collection of system applications that are available from the Microsoft store.  Windows RT runs on only start apps.

References:

http://money.cnn.com/2012/10/24/technology/enterprise/windows-8-windows-rt-difference/

http://www.cnn.com/2012/10/25/tech/innovation/review-windows-8/index.html

Devi Ramroop.