Real War Games

I don't know why I'm so obsessed with video game culture, I'm not even an avid gamer, but this is of great interest to me... It's another one of those "dark side of innovation" deals...

While brutal civil war ravaged Spain in the 1930’s, representatives of the democratic government turned to the 20^th century’s most well know, but least understood artists. Hoping he would provide a bold visual protest to Generalissimo Francisco Franco’s treachery. While Pablo Picasso generally avoided politics, and showed disdain for overtly political art, Guernica is arguably one of modern art’s most powerful anti-war statements.

Similarly, visual artist Joseph DeLappe is creating a sort of living memorial to those who gave their lives in Iraq. But where Picasso painted abstract victims, DeLappe’s are rendered in full 3D digital imagery, with software courtesy of the U.S. military. Salon.com explains, the online interactive multiplayer game “America’s Army” is funded by the U.S. army as a recruitment tool.

Since the anniversary of the Iraq invasion, DeLappe, chair of the art department at the University of Nevada, Reno, has been playing the game using the character name Dead-in-Iraq. Whenever he logs on, he allows his character to be shot and killed in the virtual environment, and then painstakingly types the names of dead U.S. servicemen into the game’s public chat system. Here's the rub, can a memorial, which serves to agitate its immediate audience, be an effective form of moral confrontation?

Wired news explains, DeLappe logs on and allows his character to be shot and killed in the virtual environment. He then painstakingly types the name, age and date of death of each service person killed in Iraq. As of September 14, he’d entered 2,670 of the American’s killed. He plans to continue until the war ends. In DeLappe’s words, “I’m trying to remind other gamers, that real people are dying in Iraq.”

DeLappe explains in the New York Times in September, “I’m going to where these people spend their time. If you can get them where they live and this causes them to think, even for an instant, I think it’s effective. According to Aphra Kerr in his book the Business and Culture of Digital Games, 2006, “of all the industries that use digital games, the military is arguably one of the most effective.”

To some anti-war groups outraged by the $4 billion a year the military spends to recruit new soldiers, DeLappe’s performance art is valuable. “I applaud him,” says Celeste Zapala, a member of the anti-war group, military families speak out. Her son was killed in 2004. She argues, “when people participate in virtual violence, it makes the victims of violence less empathetic, less real.”

However, other gamers are not amused. When DeLappe uses the game’s public chat system, the screen becomes filled with messages like, “Please, this is not the forum for you to do this,” and “Man, will all the F%&*N hackers just go play ping pong or something.”

According to wired news, other reactions are more personal. “One Air Force senior airman stated, “A dead soldier is not, and should not be used as a political icon to justify beliefs that they may not have shared.”

As critics of new media and innovation, we should note that DeLappe’s protest only exists online in a make believe world, and that the names are only on the screen for a short time. One important implication to consider is how significant publicity becomes to his overall message. The original audience of players is so limited that in order to elicit a reaction form from the larger world, the project must gain coverage in the media.

When I logged on to play the latest version titles “America’s Army, Real Heroes,” I did not encounter DeLappe’s handiwork, but I was able to experience what seems to be the army’s response to his protest, which was just added sept. 14. You can now read profiles of actual decorated soldiers and watch video clips of them talking about their families and war experience.

DeLappe’s message has been repeated in media sources all over the world, has little to do with the fact that it is confrontational, but is more likely because it fits into the bigger picture of war protests.

In fact, although he facilitated dialogue with both advocates and protestors of the war, his actions are rarely seen as over-the-top by other anti-war groups. Further research might determine if this is because the use of non traditional methods of protest have become more commonplace in our national discourse, or because agitative rhetoric requires greater notoriety to stimulate a response.

Art is a limited form in trying to change the world, but it is the only tool that some activists have. While DeLappe’s protest art is not exactly Picasso’s Guernica, it does occupy a place in the new school of political art that lambastes the Iraq war. DeLappe says that as he types he imagines President Bush or Donald Rumsfeld having to write each of the names out on a chalk board like a punishment. Charles A. Handson Jr. 22, marine, November 28, 2004.

Just a little food for thought the next time you log on to play war games.

--Roger

AT&T to raise prices

As of January 1st if you are get your local phone services from AT&T you could see a rise in the price of your phone bill.  The telecommunications company has begun notifying customers that it plans to raise monthly rates for its basic land line phone services between 10 and 25 percent.  These rate increases will not affect people who just have wireless plans with the company.  

These rate increases will affect about half of the 6.5 million residential phone lines that AT&T provides in the state, including those of its lowest-income customers.  This has a lot of consumer advocates upset, with the prices being raised at the most vulnerable time for the customers and the economy.  People think that the timing is wrong for a rate hike and that it seems unnecessary to attack customers that really can't afford it.  

AT&T  has only raised prices once in the past 14 years, which happened this past year.  Even after this raise in prices they are still going to be one the lowest phone services in the nation.  

I don't really think this is going to affect students our age because the majority of us only have cell phones and don't have a land line anymore.  I am not worried about this because I do only have a cell phone but I can see how this could be a problem for a number of people.  

-Carly Youngren

Instant-on computers

I read a really interesting article on NYTimes.com about the new instant-on PC computers.

These PCs are going to start up in about 20 seconds where you can automatically access basic functions like the Internet, messaging and Web telephone products.

Matt Richtel and Ashlee Vance, the reporters who have been writing articles on this product, looked at the societal trends that make people want and need their computers to boot up super fast. They looked at why people get so aggravated if their computer takes 70 seconds to boot up and they came to the conclusion that technology is the answer.

"People have grown used to smartphones, which give them e-mail in a flash. Often they don't really need Windows software to communicate, surf the Internet or even do work. They want the Web, and they want it now," the article reads.

I laughed when I read the comments to the story where people were saying that they have had instant-on computers for a long time, they are called Macs! When I was reading the article I was thinking the exact same thing and thinking that my MacBook boots up in less than 20 seconds. Maybe everyone of those complainers who can't wait 25 seconds for their computers to boot up should switch to Mac!

By, Lauren D.

Picture Messaging Provides Protection

Ever felt uneasy about a certain situation?  Lets say, a car has been following you turn-by-turn for more than a couple miles, or a man appears on your doorstep and says your property manager asked him to inspect your water heater.  There really isn't any immediate danger or need to call the police and panic, after all, nothing may even happen.

Just to be safe, cellphone users can use a new program called "My Mobile Witness."  This program, developed by Marcus Anthony and Scott Bullens, allows you to snap a picture of a person/license plate/scenario or a type a simple text of the situation and send it to "My Mobile Witness."  This is then stored in a "vault" that can be accessed later should you end up getting in trouble.

According to an article on MSNBC.com, "Police can access the vault without a subpoena or court order if they go through 'Fusion Centers' that coordinate state law enforcement efforts."

The program is free for its users.  Is "My Mobile Witness" an ideal new form of protection?  Or is it simply going to cause more problems down the line with false accusations?  We're about to find out.

-Michael Strachan

Innovation in the Mobile Industry

BusinessWeek sits down to speak to T-Mobile's CEO Hamid Akhavan about his thoughts about the advancement in the mobile industry and its innovative ideas. He also touches base on the relationships with competitors such as Apple by introducing the new T-Mobile "G1" phone. The most interesting part of this interview was how Akhavan emphasized the need of customer's options.

-Nina Pak

Source:
Watch the entire video here. http://feedroom.businessweek.com/?fr_story=738fbb4328c0b0bb77730d2639d22b2bbc874433

New Batteries May Cut High Hybrid Costs

According to an article on newscientist.com, "Hybrid-electric vehicles (HEVs) could become cheaper thanks to a breakthrough that would allow inexpensive lead-acid batteries to replace the nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) batters they use now.  Similar battery systems could also be used to smooth out fluctuations in power output of wind turbines."

A team of developers are working on a lead-battery that comes with a supercapacitor that helps keep the lead-acid battery charged.  These batteries typically drain in power after being discharged and recharged over and over again - this is why the more expensive NiMH batteries are in cars such as the Toyota Prius, in part leading to the high price tag.

In lab tests, the new UltraBattery lasted four times longer than typical lead-acid batteries and even provided 50 percent more power, and is third to a quarter the price of typical NiMH batteries.  A test is currently underway in which the battery will "run until it fails," - so far over 185,000 km and still going.

-Michael Strachan

Blogging

Blogging is an Internet phenomenon that has been catching on like wild fire. When you boil it down, a blog is a digital newswire and anyone can be a blogger.
When reading a blog, one must be wary and remember that not every blogger is a trained journalist and the information presented to you the reader may not be as credible as what you would see in a newspaper.
Josh Quittner from Business 2.0 magazine believes that “blogs and bloggers are positive elements in media that keep journalism honest.” He believes that it doesn’t make good business sense for the media to get into blogging, and that blogs should be independent voices apart from the media.
However, I disagree with that. I think that the media should do more blogging. Even if reporters only attract a few hundred readers to their blogs, that’s still a few hundred new readers.
Blogs are a good way for the journalist to put out all of the information that he wanted to but may not have had space for in a traditional media such as a newspaper. This innovative way of publishing stories is sure to give the media a breath of fresh air.
Journalism is still a vital component to a democratic society, and any way that the media can reach its audience is worth looking at.
Patrons to blogs are unique in the fact that they can leave the writer feedback instantaneously. For example, if you post a blog right now, someone could leave feedback for you after they’re finished reading the story: as fast as two minutes later. This feedback will help bloggers and journalist alike by showing them what their readers are looking for and how to better target them as an audience.
Jon

Blogging for Democracy

Innovation is history changing, an industry adapter and regulator. From a journalistic standpoint innovation is the struggle to reach the people at a marketing level and an active one. Innovation journalism and innovation involved with journalism both share a struggle with time. The importance of journalist in a democracy is to help get the unbiased word out. Innovation can help and hinder this goal. The importance of the message seems only to be heard though credibility.

The article said without journalism we would not have democracy. Democracy is a broad ideology and is in need of someone to keep up with the everyday changes. Journalists are considered the watchdogs of society because they are hopefully keeping the masses aware of the complexities and importance of their so-called democracy. Innovation helps broaden the spectrum of awareness with things like the Internet and Blogging. “Trying to engage audiences in conversation should be a primary goal for news organizations, the article said. With the help of communication channels like blogging and open range of communication is was democracy is all about. This open range of communication might also cloud the true importance of a message.

Innovation changes a society and even forces democracy to adapt to this change. This need to find a closer relationship and understanding between a consumer and a Journalist is best answered in blogging.

“Concepts like blogging and podcasting are presenting new ways of distributing journalism instantly and letting readers interact with the journalistic product,” the article said. “The blog is a publishing innovation, a digital newswire that, due to the proliferation of the Internet, low production and distribution costs, ease of use and really simple syndication (RSS), creates a new and powerful push-pull publishing concept.”

In other words the blog takes away the separation for the professional journalist and the amateur one. Blog not only gives a journalist the opportunity to elaborate on a current news story but it also give the reader a chance to elaborate and critique for all the world to see. The power of the professional is put in the hands of the armature. Lawrence Lessig, a law professor at Stanford said in the article the blogs are the first innovation to help engage people to act.

From a professional journalist point of view blogs are “goldmines,” The article said. “The blogosphere is a huge source to tap…” Not only can blogs help journalist get closer to there reader but can be an inside search engine for new ideas. The article said blogs also could be seen as the snakes in this overwhelming new media full of “ranting and personal opinions.” “Blog responsibly, and you’ll build a reputation for being a trusted news source. Don’t and you won’t have a reputation to worry about, article said. This is the great thing about journalism people in a democracy have the ability to weed out the credible sources from the non. If they are unable to someone will blog about it.

Journalist should blog because they are a credible source and need to make sure the masses have access to valuable information to keep the information trustworthy. Blogs keep a never-ending open wave of communication. This mass communication has no class borders. Blogs is an open unedited waive of communication, the fundaments of democracy. With freedom such as in a democracy and journalism, credibility will always stand out. Even in a time of information overload.

-Adam Meyn

Blogging Can't Hold Journalistic Integrity... Yet...

On the morning of July 15, 1974 talk show host and media personality Christine Chubbuck confused her co-workers by claiming she needed to read a newscast on her morning program Suncoast Digest.  The confusion lied in the fact that she had never done something like this before.  Three weeks prior to this incident, she asked the station’s news director if she could cover a news piece on suicide.  After being approved, she began to make jokes around the station that she herself was contemplating ways to end her own life as a reaction to her own piece.  Her copy even made a speculative report of her plan to kill herself.  Eight minutes into her program, when a planned film reel jammed and wouldn’t run, she made the immortal statement, “In keeping with Channel 40’s policy of bringing you the latest in blood and guts, and in living color, you are going to see another first: an attempted suicide.”  She then proceeded to draw a revolver and shot herself in the head, fell forward, and the camera slowly faded to black, a symbolic representation of her demise coming to fruition.  Perhaps the most shocking part of the story is that even the camera crew thought, at first, that it was all an elaborate prank to garner ratings. 

            As far removed as this may seem in a contemporary media setting, her story stands a kind of tragic legacy, inspiring a younger generation of mass media enthusiasts to follow suit.  Stimulated by Chubbuck’s story, a young blogger, known only as “90-Day Jane,” Garnered much attention in recent months when she created a blog space based on the premise that for 90 days she would write one entry each day, leading up to her inevitable death.

            Understandably, this blog caused reactions ranging from concern to absolute disgust.  One reaction on the blog itself reads, “You are such an attention whore.”  “90-Day Jane” notes, “I didn’t expect this kind of response.  To be honest, I’m kind of freaked out, but I also feel a responsibility to continue my blog.”  There is one key element that sets “90-Day Jane” apart from Chubbuck: the whole experiment was a hoax.  It is of course disturbing that someone could distribute this type of misinformation and refer to herself as “responsible.”  This being the case, the blog functions not only as a stunt, but also as a bizarre social experiment in new media, to see just how people would react to personal journalistic endeavors on the Internet. 

            It follows that as critics of the media, we must consider that blogging serves two equally important, but conflicting purposes: self-expression and a new form of editorial journalism. We must also consider that information disseminated on the Internet is not under the same scrutiny as print or broadcast journalism, so it is up to the audience, and not the news media to determine what is pertinent information.

            In the case of blogs, that are opinionated in nature, telling the truth is less interesting than exaggeration or storytelling.  “If 90-Day Jane” had focused solely on presenting an accurate portrayal of what she was doing-not actually killing herself-she would not have had audiences salivating over her every move, and thus would not have presented what is often referred to a “newsworthy information,” however falsified it may be.

This is intrinsically the point though, because with the advent of blogging comes a means to critique traditional media, and individuals need no real experience or professional clout to do so. This gives the general population the ability, in a mainstream fashion, to act as the watchdog against media conglomerates that are, often times, pandering to the corporations they answer to.  Johnathan Dube, Managing Producer and Publisher of Cyberjounrnalist.net notes the comments of long time blogger Rebecca Blood when she says, “I think it’s unrealistic for the blogger to uphold journalistic standards.  Most of us aren’t interested in being a journalist.”  On the competing end of this view, advocates for a code of ethics for bloggers argue that bloggers need to be aware that they are putting words into print and do have a responsibility to the readers. 

Journalists are tasked with presenting news, even if it is editorial in nature, and the public trusts this to be accurate.  Howver, with the advent of personal blogs, “90-Day Jane” being a perfect example, there is no real way to monitor who is allowed to present what information.  On that note, personal bloggers are not paid to put this information into print.  They do this because it is a new way for them to express their views in an accessible manner, similar to a diary or journal entry but on a grand scale.  The media wouldn’t control an individual’s personal freedom of expression in a diary that was lost and read by others, so they cannot presume to control a digital diary either. 

            “90-Day Jane” was certainly not presenting an ethical portrayal of what someone in a journalistic capacity should or would do.  However, she isn’t claiming to be a journalist but rather acting as a social commentator on sensationalism in the media and the current reliance and isolation of the Internet.  The core issue is that when you publish something, that carries responsibility. There is an ethical responsibility whether you're with an organization, or whether you're standing on that soapbox in a blogging town square. Individual bloggers, not employed by a media outlet, have no responsibility to monitor what they say in a blog.  People have a choice as to what they view on the Internet. Whether it is a blog or the online edition of a major news publication, it is still a choice. Blogging seems to function as a new watchdog for the media itself, and will continue to do so as long as there are few restrictions on what content exists on the Internet.   

            I know this isn’t exactly what we discussed in our group, but it is something that was of particular interest to me because it shows how there can certainly be a dark side to a medium that has yet to be regulated. For that matter, it may never be regulated.

--Roger

http://elliottback.com/wp/archives/2004/11/15/ethical-blogging-not-good-for-blogs/

 http://www.nydailynews.com/news/us_world/2008/02/13/2008-02

 

 

Blogging and journalism

The role of blogging within journalism has often created a differing of opinions when it comes to traditional journalists and non-traditional journalists. Patrick Baltatzizs deconstructs the role blogging plays in a democratic society, and the million dollar question — Is blogging journalism?

The importance of journalism within a democratic society is extremely important, in my opinion. “Democracy,” writes Baltatzizs, “is the legitimate struggle between powerful ideas to establish political, social and economic leadership in our societies.” The overthrowing of powerful regimes, (he equates recent innovation with historical innovations), can be done by changing societal power structure with the help of inventions.

Blogging is publishing information (low value to high value) through the Internet. Blogs attempt to focus on specific ideas and values that are supposedly effective at engaging the audience to act. While I agree with this concept generally speaking, it fails to leave out specifics when it comes to the audience who reads blogs. I believe that the few thousand readers who will be engaged by blogs and therefore act, are already active readers/civic participants already.

I think journalists should blog—why not? I agree with Baltatzizs’ point that when newspapers blog, they legitimize themselves as a valuable resource within targeted communities. I’m not really sure I understand why this is the case however. I suppose the majority of mass-reaching journalism (i.e. TV pundits, radio personalities, and Internet sources) is quick to issue opinions, and thus solidifying their validity with a particular topic. But I don’t believe that just having an opinion deems anyone an expert. In fact experts should be able to be well versed on the oppositions viewpoint, just as much as their own.

Blogging may be innovating journalism, but I don’t agree that it is innovative journalism. Blogging is keeping journalists on their toes so to speak, with truthfulness, timeliness and job security. Blogging relies on journalists, with the rare exception, but blogging does not make you a journalist always. Although it is rather late, it must be included that blogs are not all one in the same. There are many “blogs” that adhere to journalism guidelines and then there are some that spout off author-invested arguments.

While blogs may provide a great resource for journalists to gather story ideas, make contacts or understand what the public is thinking, I don’t think there is any substitution for getting out there and talking to people!

Erin

Is blogging Innovation Journalism?

In the article, “Is Blogging Innovating Journalism?” by Patrick Baltatzis he expresses five points. They are:
How is quality conceived and achieved in an environment of abundant, transitional and complex information?

What qualities, skills and tools are required to assimilate, Digest?

Then distribute relevance and meaning where attention is more valued than most physical goods?

How does new media technology fit into all this?

How do RSS-feeds and easy web-publishing tools (which have contributed to the growth of the blog) and podcasts contribute to interesting stories, good journalism and the future of publishing?

Baltatzis continues on by stating that Journalism is vital in a democratic society. Without journalism we would not have the broad, abstract concept of democracy. Due to journalism and free press people are enabled to participate with an active voice, which allows for power players for democratic advocacy.

Blogging is an innovative digital newswire found on the Internet. It has low production and distribution cost and allows a forum for anyone to publish his or her ideas. The name Blog comes from the combination of Web and Log.

In the article, Lawrence Lessig, a law professor at Stanford and an Internet visionary, argued that people become immune to traditional streamlined and broadcasted messages, blogging presents an opportunity for communities to arise.

Although blogging can be beneficial for journalists the issues of trust and reliability arise. Not everyone who does a blog has journalist qualities and there for how do readers decipher between a journalist blog and a regular blog?

Journalists should consider blogging because that is where their readers are. To make an impact journalist need to have an audience therefore if their readers are blogging then so should they.

“Blog responsibly, and you'll build a reputation for being a trusted news source.
Don't, and you won't have a reputation to worry about," writes John Hiler.

Blogging is a form of innovative journalism, it presents a forum for new trends and events. The information on a blog can be fast and informative for readers. Although blogging is a new way to publish news, the old fashion printed news is still important to keep older readers informed as well.

-Monica Sullivan

Is blogging innovating journalism?

Journalism in a democratic society is more critical than most people realize. Journalism informs the public on issues that most certainly would go by the wayside without a sector designed to report on it. Journalism keeps things within in a democracy honest and forthright. Through newspapers, magazines, television and now the Internet, information is plentiful and immediate.

Blogging, in its simplest from is publishing text on the Internet by anyone for anyone. Blogs can be produced by anyone with an Internet connection and, because of the “proliferation of the Internet”, can be syndicated and subscribed to. Unlike traditional news media, blogs offer readers an opportunity to contribute to, and interact with, the content.

Blogs, as it pertains to journalists and journalism, has its benefits and its issues. Blogs, and on a larger scale the Internet, offer unlimited amounts of space. Traditionally, journalists were constrained by the finite size of a newspaper or magazine. Not only do blogs offer infinite space but blogs are not held to the same standards of other news media, yet. Meaning journalists can report on the story in more detail, inject their own opinions and interact with their audience. In many cases, journalists should consider blogging to make the newsgathering and reporting process democratic. News organizations have always held the key to the gate, blogs have the ability to keep the gate unlocked.

The interactivity of blogs gives innovation journalists a way to immediately receive feedback from “the market” and become a part of the community. The immediacy of blogs changes the way news is reported – when, why and how it is reported. Blogs often break news stories and, depending on its newsworthiness, causes mainstream media to react.

Baltatzis top 5 concepts (in no particular order)
1. Journalism is crucial to democracy and blogs can become crucial to journalism.
2. Blogs help news media “build legitimacy in targeted communities and societies.”
3. Blogs can be useful as resources.
4. “By blogging some beats … publications would expand their audience as well as attract new readers.”
5. If blogs aren’t innovating journalism, at the very least they’re challenging traditional media.


-Matt M.

Journalists Online

Innovation has made its way into journalism. Journalism has been a part of societies around the world for centuries. Some may say without journalism, there would be no democracy. Baltatzis defines democracy as “a struggle between power ideas to establish political, social and economic leadership in our societies.” To channel out those ideas, journalism creates a space for people to come together to establish and share their thoughts. That is what makes a democracy.

Journalism has taken a new route when online web logs (blogs) were established. Blogging is a web-based concept where anyone can publish text on the web. There are many blogging companies that allow users to sign up at no cost, allowing them to create their own blog pages. Journalists are encouraged to blog, especially when working on a professional piece. Baltatzis says blogging is “technology with a mission.” Instead of traditional paper publication, audiences who read blogs can respond and interact directly on the blog site. Traditional print may only allow a certain amount to be published due to the constraint of space. Blogging allows journalists to write gathered information they want to share that they weren’t able to include in the printed edition.

Blogs are “goldmines” for journalists. There are unlimited amount of space on the web for a journalists to write as much as they want and include any type of media file whether it’ll be video, sound or picture slide show in their blogs. As media and news are and should be instantaneous, blogs offer the same speedy service to readers where journalists can update their site at anytime. Blogging should not be the story itself, rather a relevant piece that compliments the printed edition.

Blogs can be made by anyone on the World Wide Web, journalists or not. The stories that are written on blogs cannot be completely truth worthy. Even if a well-known journalist have already established his or her reputation at a printed publication, publication on the web by the same person may still create skepticism from readers. Those who blog have to remember that credibility is key in any story and they must build a trusting relationship with their readers.
While Baltatzis recommends managers to encourage their staff of journalists to blog, some people like Josh Quittner, who runs Business 2.0 magazine says, “I don’t think blogs are something that big media should get into.” He fells that blogs should be independent voices rather than a tie to a large corporation.

The idea of blogging intrigues many as journalists find this concept benefiting their work. A web log allows interaction between the writer and the reader in a virtual space on the web. Blogs are usually open to all which makes discussions a lot more interesting. While writing blogs are innovative and a steer towards a different direction for journalists, traditional journalism will never be replaced by it. Blogging has not developed a certain credibility that traditional print journalism has worked hard for, for the past centuries.

-Ching

Bloggers Delight!

Democracy as described by the author is the "struggle between power ideas to establish political, social and economic leadership in our societies." Blogging allows everyone to have a voice where they can express their opinions and facts for that matter on whatever it is they see fit. It gives citizens of the world a chance to interact about any subject, opportunities for economic growth in societies and the relatively free distribution of this kind of journalism gives it a democratic function that this an innovation tool to be used by the masses. Blogging in my opinion is the free forum on the world wide web to create and design a page where you are free to discuss and relay any opinion or information . For some, it is a professional tool to utilize known approaches and technical skills. Although some people believe that blogging should be a separate entity from journalism all together. Josh Quittner of Business 2.0 magazine believes that, "blogs should be independent voices." It's obvious that there is a fine line between credible and factual news with legitimate publications versus an individual writing on a computer in their room. There are trust and reliability issues and unchecked typos and grammatical errors to name a few criticisms of the blog trend. Although others would disagree and feel that the blog can be a resourceful tool in "establishing forums for dialogue", and "strengthening bonds to readers." Within communities, if the blog is done correctly, (which means balanced, unbiased and factual) it can "build legitimacy in targeted communities." not to mention the cost efficiency of its production and its instantaneous release. Blogging is innovation journalism if you look at the sign of the times and how far we have come as a society. According Baltziz, relevant information that cannot fit into a traditional paper can be channeled through blogs. The days of traditional papers are slowly succumbing to online mediums, papers are too slow and paper is expensive, blogs are the new innovative source of information, just be cautious and selective!

Is Blogging Innovation Journalism?

In today’s society, people want information to come to them as quickly as possible and as easily as possible. For that, we have what we call a blog. Blogging is one of the new was of sharing information with the world in a new and fast way.

 There are many reasons while blogging is important to our democratic society. For one, it is important because it provides information to the public immediately after something has happened. A journalist can log on to their blog and write up a quick information blog for people that are interested. However, with a newspaper for example, it would not get to the public as fast. Another reason why blogging is important is because it allows the reader to interact with the writer. If one has a question or would just like to let the writer know something, you have an opportunity to do so with a blog.

 In a brief description, blogging is what we call an integrated story that comes from the writer and it involves information regarding the story and personal inputs from the writer themselves. This could be one of the best ways to get information. Blogging is also like a discussion forum for the writers and the readers; they can interact and communicate.

 For journalism as a whole, blogging is important. According to Patrick Baltatzis, author of “Is Blogging Innovation Journalism?” blogging is like a goldmine for journalists. It is this huge world of communication that they can log into and blogging can help them find story ideas, help with future sources, or even allow them to do follow up stories based on the stories in the blog. Blogging is also important because the readers can choose to read what they want. They can only go to the blog topic that interests them and be happy with that rather than having to read through everything just to find what they want.

 Some say that journalists should blog and some say that they shouldn’t. In my opinion, it is important for journalists to blog. The reasoning for that is because when a writer blogs, they are almost building a community around them. Once they have this community, readers can become a part of this community and it is almost as if the writer has this following and they will be interested in what you have to say whenever you do write an article in comparison to someone who does not have a blog and the readers cannot really connect with that writer.

 So it seems that it is clear to see that blogging in my opinion is definitely innovation journalism. As Baltatzsis states, for innovation journalism, “blogs present a tool for analyzing trends and current events faster by having fruitful, synchronous conversations with the market.” This goes to show that blogging is innovational because it uses new technology and different ideas to get its message across in a clear and quick manner.

 

The Importance of Blogging

Baltatzis’s article discusses the importance of innovation journalism, why journalism is a vital part of a democratic society, how blogging is an innovative concept for journalists and its significance, and how magazines and newspapers should use blogging to develop a shared experience with their readers.

The article states that journalism is vital in a democratic society because it provides social, political or economic ideas in society. Together, journalism and the free press enable people to participate in their interests and have an active voice in powerful ideas. Blogging is a way to combine journalism and the free press because it approaches and empowers readers and creates deeper relationships with them.

Baltatzis defines a blog as “a publishing innovation, a digital newswire that, due to the proliferation of the Internet, low production and distribution costs, ease of use and really simple syndication (RSS), creates a new and powerful push-pull publishing concept. As such, it changes the power structures in journalism, giving yesterday’s readers the option of being today’s journalists and tomorrow’s preferred news aggregators.” Blogging is a concept where publishing text on the web is combined with its syndication and the blogosphere is a marketplace of ideas.

The article also states why it is significant for journalists to blog, by saying that “the blogosphere is a huge source to tap, using services like Technorati.com (a blog search engine) and Googlenews, for new ideas, arguments and leads to new stories and for follow-ups on stories on other sites.” Blogging also allows journalists to publish things online at all times of the day, keeping their stories and information current and newsworthy. It is important for journalists to blog so that they can properly follow up with their stories, by continuously adding content and up-to-date information. Journalists should also blog to build their legitimacy in targeted communities and societies, and it can help establish forums for dialogue among participants, expanding their audience and strengthening their bonds to their readers. Most importantly, blogs are innovating journalism by allowing journalists to “present a tool for analyzing trends and current events faster.” By being able to update all the time, readers can receive the most current information and blogs will become essential ways to find out information about societies and communities.

- Jessica I.

Is blogging innovating journalism?

In the article presented by Patrick Baltatzis, several key concepts were discussed, which included what is blogging, the significance of blogs to journalist, issues in blogging, the importance of journalism in a democratic society,whether or not blogging is innovating journalism and why newspapers should blog.

The importance of journalism in a democratic society cannot be understated.  Responsible journalist provide vital information to the public and act as a watchdog.  Journalist also help push forward new ideas which include technology and innovation.

A new innovation that some journalist have not latched on to is blogging, which is the concept of publishing information on the Internet for anyone to see and respond to what you have published.  Unlike newspaper the back and forth dialogue of blogs is key and helps push the conversation, it is interactive.  

The significance of blogs is huge.  Bloggers are increasingly become reliable sources of information as well as publishing untapped or unpublicized relevant news that mainstream media will not or cannot cover.

Blogging is innovating journalism in terms of having your stories read by many more people than if you were writing for your local paper.  By blogging on the Internet you also have the avenue and ability to interact with those whose comment on your story, which as I stated earlier moves the story along.

I see no problem with a journalist blogging as long as he or she follows the same ethical approach to blogging as they do to any other form of writing.

Rashad L.

Blogging

The article talks about how journalism plays a vital part in the democratic society and things like blogging and podcasting are presenting new ways of information to different people around the world. Baltatzis also talked about how these innovations are important to society because they let the public know about certain things that can improve or disrupt their environment. Lastly, he talked about how publishing with these innovative tools leads us to believe that journalism is growing. Journalism is basically transitioning from traditional media to new media and we can see this in the things reporters are writing stories on the and the news packages they are creating with these new innovative tools.

Baltatzis says that journalism is vital in a democratic society.  Journalism is all about concepts and ideas and presenting them in an objective manner and this is what a democratic society is all about. Journalism lets people express their ideas and voice their thoughts as well as participate in their community.

Blogging is basically the marketplace for innovative ideas. It engages conversations between readers and societies.

The relevance of blogging for journalism is that it gives journalists a place where they can go and see what other people are talking about. It allows them to find stories in the most uncommon places and see what a particular subject is presenting about an idea. They can take that and turn it into their own story. They can also use blogs to follow up on other stories. If they write a story and it doesn't get published, they can post it on their blog. 

Journalists should blog because it creates a new forum of ideas that they can present to their community. It's much more laid back and it gives people an opportunity to comment on their blogs. It presents information in a new way opposed to the traditional media that their publication uses. Baltatzis goes on to say that blogs create communities of interests.

Blogging is innovating journalism because it is creating new ideas and new forms of expression. You can add many things to a blog such as video, commentary, pictures and more. It is more casual than what would be on the front of the newspaper because you can use any style that you want. Anything technology related is innovated and since blogs are used on the internet then I would say that it is turning traditional journalism into new innovative journalism.

Lauren D.

Blog to the Future

Blogging: a wild dream to the founding fathers? Though we can't take a vote from a bunch of dead old white guys, undoubtedly they'd be intrigued by the growing phenomenon known as blogging. Indeed, as some would argue (in the present century), blogging is a shot in the arm to democracy. And if journalism was good enough to be given First Amendment protection in the U.S. Constitution, then what is the relevance of blogging to a free press today? This basic question and others are explored in a conference paper by Patrick Baltatzis called "Is Blogging Innovating Journalism?"

To explain it to the dead old white guys, blogging is the activity of communicating thoughts and ideas in a public forum located on the World Wide Web (we won't explain that one). Such a forum is called a blog, or weblog, which is an online version of an open journal, onto which anyone can post a thought, comment or question on a shared topic of interest. A blog is the equivalent of a running dialog or conversation, offering timely and up-to-date, if not cutting-edge, information on anything from a presidential campaign to the latest cell phone technology or collector model cars. With content driven by reader interest and information exchange, content-accurate blogs often break news that traditional journalism overlooks or misses entirely. And this on nearly any subject imaginable, large or small. It's like having hundreds, if not thousands, of eyes simultaneously zeroing in on a topic versus those of one one reporter or editor. This is an unprecedented, thoroughly breakthrough development in information distribution. And thus in journalism as well.

Ironically, this new, dynamic form of news and information gathering and sharing comes as U.S. newspapers are beset by a seemingly unstoppable hemorrhage in circulation. Whereas blogging has taken the Internet community by storm. According to Baltatzis, there were 30 million blogs worldwide at the time his paper was presented. In the wave of monumental, technologically-innovative shifts in media communication, traditional print journalism, by volume, is rapidly losing competitive ground. But reader responsiveness to the less rigid, lively engagement of blogs has been tremendous. As Baltatzis quotes Josh Quittner, editor-in-chief of Business 2.0 magazine, today a publication's "worst competitor is not another magazine" but "readers' attention and time." To that end, blogs fit the bill.

This is because blogs offer an immediate, compelling, easy-to-use form of interactive communication on topics of individual, interest-driven relevance to readers. As online published dialog, Joe and Mary public can see their opinions, perspectives and ideas weighed in, side by side, with experts -- not only within the U.S. but across the world. According to Baltatzis, this creates in readers a sense of community and ownership of the information-sharing process.

Moreover, because blogs can be produced with free software and distributed low-cost via the Internet, they offer a new, highly accessible means for traditional journalism to expand its readership base. The result is a virtually limitless flourishing and free exchange of ideas, a forum of information exchange whose community voice will only expand as more people gain access to the Internet across the globe. In this way, blogs very much embody the spirit of democracy.

Five principle concepts discussed by Baltatzis include the following:

1) Blogs can "create new value," "empower readers" and "create deeper relationships" with them than traditional news formats and players alone;
2) Blogs need not, and should not, necessarily replace traditional journalism;
3) Blogs gain value in the marketplace based on their unique appeal to the public and/or their credibility and quality of content;
4) Blogs break down the wall between content producers and consumers;
5) Blogs "are positive elements in media that keep journalism honest" (according to Quittner).

Based on interviews by Baltatzis with bloggers in the news industry, a growing number of journalists see blogging as an innovation that breathes new dynamism into the lifeblood of a free society. Yet at the same time, there are concerns that blogs threaten to diminish expectations of content quality to the level that ultimately degrades hard news itself. But this need not necessarily preclude a news organization (or citizen journalist) from creating a blog of their own. Blogs of no significant consequence proliferate on the Internet. With the virtually limitless publishing space of the 'net, that fact is not likely to change. But neither does it stop other blogs from staking a legitimate place for themselves in the wider community.

Bottom line, blogs that adhere to the fundamental standards and ethics of traditional journalism -- accuracy, fairness, balance, clarity, solid writing -- are shaping up to be those with the strongest reputations for credibility and reliability. Conversely, a blog that aims for content higher than mere gossip or fleeting hype, but which is considered by readers to be unreliable, is likely to lose, not attract, readership. Blog readers by nature tend to be more discriminating in their blog selections, drawn as they are to topics with which they are often already highly knowledgeable. Therefore a blog that lacks credibility is likely to be one that readers quickly abandon in search of better ones that merit their time and attention.

So in a blogosphere of billions of readers -- where there is room for everyone with Internet access -- just as with other matters of importance to the public, the more trusted, compelling sources of information tend to distinguish themselves and draw a larger and loyal readership. That in itself is a metaphor for a healthy democracy: a diverse and often messy enterprise, but ultimately reflective of a bell-curve measure of human activity and consciousness over time.

Journalism, then, that incorporates content-accurate, timely and compelling blogs is journalism that is responsive to the changing needs and expectations of the public. Blogs also widen the spectrum of key players and voices involved in any subject discussion. But overall the best kind of blogging revitalizes the democratic impulse of the public to engage in open conversation on topics that hold often passionate meaning for them. In this way, blogging is definitely innovating journalism.

According to Baltatzis, blogging can also provide a healthy boost to news publication revenues by drawing in and broadening readership. But blogging can benefit the larger economy as well, he notes. For the very nature of the free exchange of ideas tends to drive, accelerate and support innovation of goods and services and the policies that serve them. Blogging can therefore be seen as a reinforcing mechanism in a critical loop of democracy.

As one of the most powerful tools a journalist can have in his or her arsenal, then, blogs can be fertile resources of new ideas and specialized information, freely and vitally exchanged. This is an enlivening of the democratic process. Whether these ideas cover the areas of politics, business, the economy, science and medicine, technology, public policy, the natural environment, or the arts and culture, content-reliable blogs are becoming an integral part of a newly thriving public discourse. No astute reporter today would dare not appreciate the real and potential impact of blogging. And those who jump in with stellar blogs of their own stand to help nurture a kind of democracy those old dead white guys could have only dreamed of.

- Misako M.

"Is Blogging Innovation Journalism?" Q & A!

In the article, "Is Blogging Innovation Journalism?" by Patrick Baltatzis, five concepts and ideas are asked about innovation journalism. They include:

• "How is quality conceived and achieved in an environment of abundant, transitional, and complex information?"
• "What qualities, skills and tools are required to assimilate, digest and then distribute relevance and meaning where attention is more valued than most physical goods?"
• "How does new media technology fit into all this?
• "How do RSS-feeds and easy web-publishing tools (i.e. blogs) and podcasts contribute to interesting stories, good journalism, and the future of publishing?
• "How is journalism changing and what does the future hold?

The author continues to expand on these questions by interviewing journalists and examining the use of blogs as a reporting tool. He begins by taking a look at the importance of journalism for a democratic society.

Democracy is a broad, loose and somewhat undefined concept that can be interpreted in a variety of ways. Journalism, in a big way, is vital to the idea of democracy. As democracy innovates through changes in social, economic and political shifts, certain aspects gain popularity and power over others, causing changes in an overall structure. One example given by Baltatzis is the use of MTV broadcasts and reporting in Eastern Europe in the 1980s. As residents locked behind the Berlin Wall were able to see what existed in the outside world, they began to resist their Communist leadership and demand a change, demand their freedom. The use of SMS-messaging (text messaging) in Iraq for civic reporting also played importance in spreading the word to a mass audience. With the growing popularity of the Internet, many journalists have opted to take advantage of the easy-to-use technology and virtually endless audience to get their news out to the world.

What exactly is a blog? According to Baltatzis, a "blog is a publishing innovation, a digital newswire that, due to the proliferation of the Internet, low production and distribution costs, ease of use and really simple syndication (RSS), creates a new and powerful push-pull publishing concept." Readers are able to get news with the click of a mouse, looking at today's news and what's to come. Subscribing to news feeds allow people to receive news updates automatically as they happen - people no long have to go look for the news. Blogs also provide an open forum for debate and discussion, since readers can respond by commenting on a journalist's blog or by posting a rebuttal post on their own blog. “Trying to engage audiences in conversation should be a primary goal for news organizations. It’s what a democracy needs and what news organizations are meant to support,” wrote the authors of Hypergene, a blog committed to furthering the concept of citizen journalism.

Blogs are very relevant to journalists doing professional work. They allow them to put out new ideas and arguments that can often lead to news stories and follow-up stories on either sites. There are, however, some issues with blogging. Since many feel that blogs are just an easy way for people to voice opinion or rant about something, the issue of trust and truthfulness comes up. Blogging may also take away from readership in traditional magazines and newspapers.

Despite the negative, journalists should continue their quest in the blogging world. According to Baltatzis, blogging not only builds legitimacy in society, but also, "the transitional nature of business and media consumption must be considered if publishing houses want to prevail in their chosen markets." Blogs allow information to be shared quickly and easily around the world and with others who may, if it were not for blogs, would be left in the dark. By providing reliable and truthful information, blogs can aid communities in growing. Communities not only thrive on reliable and relevant information, but also enjoy the openness to the audience, even allowing people to partake in making stories.

Everything here boils down to one simple question: Is blogging considered innovation journalism? To be considered innovative, something must be new or differently introduced and changed from traditional customs. Given that definition, blogging would definitely be considered innovation journalism. Not only is it interactive for the audience, but it is becoming something like we have never seen before. It is providing an open forum for readers, a way of discussing news that they would typically not be able to with a traditional newspaper. People are able to get up-to-date news faster and almost anywhere in the world. Blogging has broken down barriers that have long been set by classic journalism reporting, opening the door to a new world of ideas.

Posted by: Michael Strachan

Is blogging Innovative Journalism?

In the article "Is blogging Innovating Journalism" by Patrick Baltazis there are five main concepts/ideas.  They are: 

1) Background information on innovation journalism

2) The definition of what blogging is

3) The significance of blogs to journalists

4) The major issues in blogging 

5) Why newspapers should blog

Journalism is important in a democratic society because without journalism there would not be democracy. Whether social, political or economic, innovative ideas enable different interests groups to gain leadership on a society.  They in turn are of special interest in a democratic discourse.  Journalism and free press, committed to honoring journalism makes it possible for different interests to have an active voice and participate.  

According to Baltazis blogging is: Emerging technologies converging into new ones, the roaming of ideas and technology with at mission.  It gives the readers the option of being a journalist.  Baltazis explains that "the blog is a publishing innovation, a digital news wire that, due to the proliferation of the Internet, low production and distribution costs, ease of use and really simple syndication (RSS), creates a new and powerful push-pull publishing concept."  

Blogs are very relevant to any journalist doing professional or crafted work.  Blogs can help journalist gain ideas using different services.  Reading other blogs can open a journalists eyes to concepts they had not thought of before.  If the information is trustworthy these ideas may turn out to be the journalists latest story or an idea they may want to look further into.  

According to Baltazis "Magazines and papers should consider blogging to build their legitimacy in targeted communities and societies.  The transitional nature of business and media consumption must be considered if publishing houses want to prevail in their chosen markets."  If journalist enter the blogging world they are able to reach a number of people they would not have before.  Baltazis states that  "Communities breed on relevant and reliable information.  A newspaper or blog can grow if it provides relevant and reliable information to leaders in its targeted communities.  The difference between traditional papers and blogs are that the latter can be more 'open' to their audiences, letting readers participate in making stories, and, in extreme cases, letting readers publish their own stories."  Blogs are a way to build communities of special interest groups which in turn could gain a journalist a larger following.     

Blogging is innovative journalism because its changing the way news is being read.  A lot of people get their news from blogs rather than reading a newspaper or watching television.  Many blogs have their own communities of readers,  if journalist choose to blog these could be a new and innovative way for them to gain new followers.  

-Carly Youngren

 

"Blogging"

Blogging seems to be the new media outlet of where journalists can gather their ideas and deliver to the public. However, are journalists that use blogs really journalists or are they just stating their opinions? It seems like almost everyone that is blogging does not have to have a degree in journalism, but just needs to connect with their audience. But what about the journalists that actually do report on an innovative instrument or a new exciting technological gadget? Patrick Baltatzis uncovered some of these ideas and/or concepts of blogging in his article. First, he examines the role of journalism in a democratic society and how vital it is to establish a relationship between the two. Second, he defines the new media of blogging, and explains what it is. Third, he analyzes the significance of blogs to journalists and if journalists are embracing it or rejecting it. Fourth, he uncovers the issues in blogging and if it has any restraints in the field of journalism. Lastly, he touches on whether or not journalists or publications should utilize blogs.

The importance of journalism in a democratic society, is that it enables different interests to gain leadership in society. It establishes political, social and economic leadership in societies. Most of the advances in journalism have made in an impact in our democratic society, thus deems some advances as revolutionary. Journalism also enables different interests to come together and have an active voice. Without journalism, we could not have a democracy, because it would not include the public's voice.

Blogging is a new channel of special interest to publishers and readers as well. It can sometimes be a form of journalism, but sometimes it is not. It would be hard to come to a definite answer about this. However, by blogging and using the Internet, it is a cost effective way of delivering news and a message. "Users or other bloggers subscribe to these syndication feeds (RSS-feeds), which automatically appear on the subscriber’s website, blog or in a newsreader." A blog can be used as a marketplace of ideas, by including technologies.

The significance of blogs to journalists is the fact that their stories can spread quickly. It also gives journalists more of a free tone of voice. It gives the journalist a way to break free from the traditional standard way of writing in a newspaper to more for writing freely. This is an area where journalists do not have a criteria of the way they write, but more of what they want to write about. It establishes a connection between the journalist and his/her audience.

Journalists should definitely consider blogging to build their reputations with communities and the society. By writing in a way not just as a journalist but more of a consumer, the communities will be able to identify with the writer. The journalist can provide relevant and reliable information to their communities. Blogging is also less expensive than the paper and can use fewer resources. All the information that could not fit on the paper, could be written in the blog. It is a great way of readers to pick and choose what they want to read and what they think is relevant.

Blogging is innovating journalism in a tremendous way by "analyzing trends and current events faster." Readers will be able to get their information faster and it is a cost effective way to deliver that information to the public. Blogging is presenting new ways for readers to contribute to the stories and gives them a chance to interact with the journalist as well. Because innovation is a vital for the advancement of society, blogging is a great step forward in journalism. With the development of these such new medias, journalists can deliver the relevant information faster and easier.

-Nina Pak

The latest project from NASA

A small spacecraft from NASA was launched this weekend, it will embark on a two-year mission to give scientists their first view of the happenings at the edge of the solar system.  The spacecraft is called the Interstellar Boundary Explorer, or Ibex probe for short, will study a chaotic region in space where the solar wind from the sun clashes with cold gases from interstellar space.  

The Ibex prone is a $165 million dollar mission that will build on the long-running Voyager spacecraft launched in 1977.  Observations from the spacecraft will help researchers in "unlocking the secrets of this important interaction between the sun and the galaxy," said chief scientist David McComas of the Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio.

The Ibex is only the size of a bus tire and will be lifted 130 miles above Earth by a Pegasus rocket and put into orbit.

-Carly Youngren 

Feature film premieres on YouTube

CNN hosted an article by AP on director Wayne Wang’s movie “The Princess of Nebraska” being premiered on YouTube last Friday. According to the article people will be able to watch it for free at the YouTube Screening Room which is a new addition. In the article, Wang is said to be one of the most notable filmmakers that is trying to give away a film for free online. In the past movies available online for free were illegal, where music has been for free.

With this new development of free movies on YouTube, what does that hold in store for major movie producers? Not just movie producers, but the entire movie industry? Is technology providing new mediums that better of society or hinder it?

Link:
http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/ptech/10/17/movies.internet.ap/index.html

-Monica Sullivan

Drinking = smaller brain

According to an article in the Los Angeles Times, the more people drink the smaller their brains are. According to “researchers” on Tuesday, drinking moderate amounts of alcohol may accelerate the process of brain shrinkage that usually comes with aging.

A study by Archives of Neurology stated that people who drank one to seven drinks a week had slightly smaller brains than nondrinkers. The affects were especially pronounced in women.

This new study causes me to question the validity of facts given by the Times. I feel like the Times do not give an alternative for the reader to inquire about the new theory/ idea that was state in the article.

Link:
http://www.latimes.com/news/science/la-sci-briefs18-2008oct18,0,750815.story

-Monica Sullivan

Drunk Emailing?

Google's Gmail program has started a new feature called Mail Googles, which requires any user who enable the function to perform 5 math problems in 60 seconds before sending emails between 10 p.m. and 4 a.m. on weekends, according to an article by Alex Williams in the New York Times. The program is designed to censor late-night drunken emails so between cocktails you don't send potentially embarassing correspondence you might later regret.

People's opinions about it? According to this article, people seem to be disappointed that this is only on Gmail and that it doesn't also apply to things like cell-phones as the stop the widespread epidemic of drunk dialing and/or text-messaging. "Indeed, the Mail Goggles program itself was born of embarrassment. A Gmail engineer named Jon Perlow wrote the program after sending his share of regrettable late-night missives, including a plea to rekindle a relationship with an old girlfriend, he wrote on the company’s Gmail blog."

The article says that this new Gmail program raises a larger question: "In an age when so much of our routine communication is accomplished with our fingertips, are we becoming so tethered to our keyboards that we really need the technological equivalent of trigger locks on firearms?"

What do you think?

- Jessica I

Akward first encounters are things of the past...

Whoever coined the phrase, "Looking for love in all the wrong places" obviously never used Lovegety. The electronic device tracks other love-deficient singles, who also carry a device, within 5 meters of standing location.

Three different settings let the other know what you interests are: "talk," get2," or the Japanese art of "karaoke." I would be curious to know how many Americans would actually use the karaoke setting. Something tells me there should be a "buzz off button" for those you see but don't actually want to meet.

Those innovative techies over at Wired first reported on this device in 1998, but there was an apparent need to creep people out once again by reporting on it, once again.

The author describes the possibility that these devices could broadcast dating stats to other Lovegety users streamlining the whole random "first-encounter" thing.

"Today's social software is not very social," admits MIT's media page.

I suppose soon we can look forward to know his/her favorite movies, hobbies, or whether the "25-year-old" is really 25-years-old in person. No need to wait for weeks of myspacing or online flirting to find the man/woman of your virtual dreams. Its virtually effortless.

Daddy I want a flying car now!

As I was poking around the Internet the other day, I came across this big feature in this month's issue of Popular Science magazine: "The flying car gets real."

Really? Flying cars? Like in "The Jetsons" and "Blade Runner"? One that I conceivably zoom down my street in and pull a Doc Brown at the end of "Back to the Future" in? Well, sort of.

It turns out that the Terrafugia Transmission isn't going to be taking to the skies from a short runway the length of a city street anytime soon -- rather, the company flips the familiar moniker "flying car" on its head, calling it a "roadable aircraft." Still, the company's MIT alumni founders seem to have come up with the most measured and thought-out approach to building a car that happens to have the ability to fly (or, if you prefer, a plane that happens to have the ability to drive on city streets and when its wings are folded, park in your garage).

Here's the big idea, as Popular Science's Gregory Mone Explains:

[Terrafugia co-founder Carl] Dietrich's team intends to manufacture and sell several hundred Transitions a year. That means doing things that no flying-car hopefuls before them ever have: Build an aircraft that can take potholes and protect its occupants if it slams into a brick wall at 30 miles an hour. Do it cheaply and reliably, again and again. Score passing grades from all those federal agencies. Find someone to insure it.

But better yet, this plane is designed to fly on regular unleaded fuel -- imagine pulling up to your local gas station in one of these! -- and thanks to a new 2004 FAA rule, the Transition is also designed as a "light sport" plane, and will require 20 hours, or half as many flight training hours, as were previously needed.

But here's the thing that the PopSci article only mentions in passing: This has been tried. Many times. In fact, the idea started not long after the Wright Brothers took to the sky, and was first patented 90 years ago.

Essentially, without my having any expertise in auto mechanics or aerodynamics, it seems that there are two big problems to designing a real flying car, despite the fact that USA Today recently counted no less than five companies working on this problem. And despite nearly a century of attempts, no one has come up with a sustainable, viable solution to this problem. Basically, a car is safer and more stable when it's heavier, while a plane flies better when it's lightweight.

PopSci also notes:

To qualify as "light sport," the Transition will have to weigh around 1,300 pounds. That's 500 pounds less than a Smart car, but the Transition will be as long as a Suburban and, in places, just as tall. That calls into question whether it can survive a strong breeze, never mind a head-on collision with an SUV. In trying to be both an automobile and an aircraft, the Transition could wind up a mediocre version of both. "You look at the set of rules for designing a car and those for an airplane, and they're not all that similar," says Virginia Tech University aerospace engineering professor James Marchman, who in 1999 led a yearlong academic project to design a roadable aircraft.

Dietrich believes his design circumvents those rules. Take the assumption that only heavy cars are stable. With a low center of gravity, a long, wide wheelbase, a center of mass close to the front, and the canard wing, which generates downforce, Dietrich says that the featherweight Transition will stay glued to the pavement.

Spectrum -- whose headline reads: "Loser: Grounded " -- points out that even a Mini Cooper weighs twice as much as the Transition. That's doesn't even take into account the fact that "its folded wings would create mammoth blind spots on a vehicle the length of a large pickup truck and would be easy targets for fender benders."

Ana Mracek Dietrich, the COO of Terrafugia, wrote me in an e-mail that the choice of materials would be what makes the Transition truly safe.

"As for crash safety, composite safety cages and crumple zones have been shown to be safer than the traditional steel in use in cars today," she wrote. "Their higher cost is the only real barrier to the more widespread use of these materials. The Transition is designed to withstand the most stringent of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety crash tests. Light does not have to mean less safe."

PopSci is reporting that the first test flight will come next month. Assuming all goes well, the 10 employees can start delivering the Transitions sometime in late 2009 or early 2010.

The other main issue? The cost. Right now, a Transition is priced at $194,000, but as PopSci points out: "You could buy a Lexus and a little Cessna for the same price, but if that's how you think, you're not one of Terrafugia's customers." Its sticker price is currently nearly double that of the upper limit of most light-sport aircraft.

I'm still pretty skeptical that this effort will, ahem, get off the ground. But I'm sure lots of folks said the same thing about Orville and Wilbur back in the day, too.

Seriously though, if you get one, I want a ride. I have to warn you though, I get motion sickness.

--Roger

Is Your Social Security Number Safe?

Identity theft is rampant. It hijacks weeks and months out of victims' lives to rectify the consequences. And it costs untold losses in productivity. So it's not exactly comforting to discover that two newly implemented IRS computer systems potentially expose taxpayers' information to security and privacy hazards, according to an AP article published in today's Los Angeles Times.

A report issued by the office of the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration indicates that Internal Revenue Service officials failed to resolve the identified weaknesses in the programs before having activated them. According to the AP article, Inspector General J. Russell George said it was "very troublesome" that the IRS "was aware of, and even self-identified, these weaknesses" without addressing them.

Already in partial use, the two computer systems will cost U.S. taxpayers nearly $2 billion. One of the systems has "processed about 20% of the 142 billion tax returns filed," according to the AP.

The inspector's report said the problems raise the likelihood that taxpayer data and systems configurations could be illegally accessed and maliciously abused, manipulated, or hacker-attacked, or that information could be accidentally deleted or lost, without detection or effective restoration.

The IRS has said it "had implemented many of the inspector general's recommendations and taken steps to improve security. It stressed that no taxpayer data had been compromised and numerous security safeguards were in place." But is this true? Will the inspector general's office re-evaluate the systems, and when?

And, yet, the AP piece didn't address any of the following basic questions: Who in Congress was responsible for approving the funding of such poorly programmed systems? How does the IRS justify its need for these new systems? Which companies designed the systems?

As far as innovation journalism goes, the AP article is reactive rather than pro-active. And was a lack of resources the reason why the L.A. Times didn't cover the story themselves? So how likely is it that traditional journalists will follow up on this story? It's also a situation that pits the convenience of technology against human and bureaucratic fallibility. No surprise, the right kind of innovation is slow to make a dent in bureaucracies. But it will be interesting to see successful, reliable and cost-effective examples of tech innovation in the future, as "makeovers" applied to outmoded institutional systems. And what better (or more challenging) place to succeed than with the IRS and an overly complex national tax structure?

- Misako M.

Renting rooms by the hour...

Cisco Systems announced today that they have partnered with Tata Communications of India to install Cisco's TelePresence video conferencing equipment at hotel and other locations.  They will then open the rooms to the public by online reservations.  One of the suites will be in a room at a Cisco building in Silicon Valley.  By the end of next year the hope to have 100 locations opened throughout the world.  

Rental fees will be between $299 and $899 an hour, depending on the size of the room.  Cisco has installed around 1,000 conferencing suites for corporate clients, at prices ranging from $34,000 to $349,000 apiece.  Paul Waadevig, a consultant with Frost & Sullivan market research firm, believes that renting the suites out will be a good way for future customers to get familiar with the technology.

So if your company has been hit by the global slowdown and needs to cut down on technological cost, renting these rooms could be the way to go.  

-Carly Youngren

The World is About to End...No For Realsies

If Hollywood has taught us anything over the past decade, it’s that no matter what, humanity can overcome any obstacle an underpaid writing staff can come up with. Take the 1998 Oscar-nominated film, Armageddon, for example. Not only did it present us with a compelling Romeo and Juliet drama between natural thespian Liv Tyler and a shirtless Ben Affleck, but it also awakened America to the most significant impending threat to our modern world: a giant asteroid destroying the planet. While Hollywood may have painted a slightly exaggerated picture by putting us at the same risk as the dinosaurs, the reality may be just as frightening. Planet-destroying asteroids are best saved for the silver screen, because the real threat is a meteorite large enough to significantly damage, if not completely annihilate an entire metropolitan city. Lucky for us, the UnMuseum maintains in a 1997 article that scientists estimate an object large enough to destroy a city only hits the earth once a century. Phew! But wait, according to the Geoscience Research institute in a 1982 article, 2008 marks the one hundred year anniversary of what researchers have recently discovered could be the largest meteorite impact in recorded history. The article continues to explain that in 1908, a large explosion wiped out forty square miles of Siberian forest in Tunguska, Russia. Accounts of the explosion claimed it to be anything from a nuclear blast to an alien attack, however, recent studies have shown that the culprit was most likely a meteorite impact, an event that, very soon, could once again threaten our planet. I know this isn’t exactly innovation, but I’ve come across a lot of information on this event lately and I think it’s funny that with all of our technological prowess these days, there seems to be nothing we can do about a real catastrophic event.

Hundreds of people witnessed the meteorite’s Russian debut, confused at what exactly was happening. The November, 2007 issue of Astronomy Magazine reports that on June 30, 1908, an object was spotted flying over western China around 7 am, and a few minutes later, a colossal flash lit up the sky over Siberia. The impact could be heard 500 miles away, and the shockwave knocked people off their feet in nearby villages. Accounts claim that the force was even felt on the other side of the planet in Washington D.C. Surprisingly, even though 40 square miles of Tunguska forest were destroyed, and 800 square miles were scorched, there were no reported humyn injuries. According to the December 29, 2007 National Post, the Tunguska explosion has been blamed on everything from Nicola Tesla and his outlandish experiments, to aliens attacking to the earth. However, the 1934 issue of the Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological society notes that a scientist named F.J.W. Whipple developed the Meteorite impact theory, explaining that a comet, made mostly of ice and dust could have caused the explosion, leaving behind little to no evidence, other than Lake Cheko, the potential impact crater. Researchers pursued this theory, and according to the New Scientist on October 5, 2002, in 1958, an independent team led by Kiril Florensky found evidence that discredited Whipple’s theory. This apparently didn’t sit well with Florensky because four years, later, he went back, and according to his 1963 article in Meteoritica, resolved that the meteorite actually exploded mid-air, vaporizing most evidence, and thus Lake Cheko could still potentially be the impact crater. Now, while these conclusions were made over 40 years ago with relatively limited technology, National Geographic News reports on November 7, 2007, that by using advanced acoustic imagery, a group of Italian scientists have investigated the bottom of Lake Cheko, concluding that its unique, round, cone-shaped structure, is surprising, but undeniable evidence of a low-impact crater.

After a century, the focus has shifted from what caused this to how could the Tunguska meteorite have impacted our planet, specifically through atmospheric changes, as well as the potential destruction of a more populated area. First, according to Science Daily on March 14, 2006, Vladimir Shaidurov of the Russian Academy of Sciences claims that a natural disaster, such as the 1908 meteorite impact, could have jump-started global warming. The January 22, 2008 Green Lantern explains that a little known, but undisputed fact is that ninety-eight percent of the Greenhouse Effect is caused by water vapor in our air. It continues to note, that since the natural evaporation of water is not caused by humyns, this effect could be part of the earth’s life cycle. However, the March 17 2006 Science a-go-go notes that Shaidurov’s studies show that if a massive amount of water was introduced into the atmosphere, such as the explosion of a giant, icy meteorite, it would severely disrupt this cycle, and have an even larger effect in the advancement of global warming than the amount of CO2 that humyns put into the air. So while we wait around like good little Americans for Al Gore’s next prize winning documentary on the dangers of icy meteorites, we can discuss the effects of an impact such as this upon a more densely populated area. The Economist claims on July 23^rd 2007 that while the chances of these impacts are small, a meteorite even a few meters wide could level a city. While, in 1908, the meteorite only incinerated a few unlucky reindeer, ABC News maintains on January 29, 2008, that if there was to be another incident of this nature in a metropolitan area today, the devastation could significantly damage our economy and society. In fact, had the Tunguska event occurred exactly 4 hours and 47 minutes earlier, the entire city of St. Petersburg would have been destroyed. Or had it been twelve hours earlier, New York would have wiped off the map. Since statistics show that there is another impact on the horizon, we need to consider the economic chaos that could potentially occur, in light of recent disasters such as India’s tsunami, Hurricane Katrina, or even 9/11. Since backlash such as this is an actual possibility, meteorites like the one that impacted Tunguska should not be written off as a special effect.

This impact occurred a century ago, but has had effects that we’re only experiencing, or even considering, today. However, the implications of this newfound knowledge have opened our eyes to possibilities we have yet to explore. First, Tunguska is evidence of an actual event that potentially altered our global climate. We, as a society, are rarely exposed to assertions that fall outside the mainstream way of thinking about global warming. However, as Slate.com reports on January 22, 2008, only two percent of greenhouse gasses come from pollution we’re so often condemned for creating. While the recent popularization of the “Green Movement” has made us so environmentally conscious that even hippies are getting sick of it, this discovery opens up the opportunity to reconsider our approach to the solution towards reversing the Greenhouse Effect. What solution, you may ask? Who knows? Although, when we consider how this has affected our climate, we need to understand the implications of an unprepared response to a similar natural disaster. Primarily, you have to wonder, how do you prepare for the nearly unpredictable? A hurricane will always occur on the coast or over the ocean. A tornado will most likely be in the Midwest. But a meteorite impact is completely random. Every site on the planet has the same chance of being an impact zone. However, if a response plan were ever developed to handle such a disaster, the flexibility could be invaluable to our society. But think about it, can our lack of interest and hesitance to consider this an actual threat be attributed to the fact that it happened over 10,000 miles away? If the Tunguska meteorite was the Michigan meteorite, or the Austin meteorite, we would most likely be more anxious to figure out the truth, and the potential impacts of the event. However, since the September 25, 2007 Flight International informs us that NASA is facing massive budget cuts, we need to use the evidence at our hands today to understand such issues, because who knows how long we may have until we’re faced with them once again.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m all about watching movies where giant asteroids are headed towards earth in the hopes that Ben Affleck and Liv Tyler get caught at Ground Zero. But, as unbelievable as it may seem, when a real-life meteorite can potentially destroy an entire city we can’t just write it off as fantasy. With the knowledge that we’ve gained from the Tunguska event, we may find ourselves more prepared for reality.

--Roger