Trendtechnomazing!

 The seminar series for the course, EM-TECH, was able to introduce to us future trends in the field of information technology where these technologies are considered to be emerging technologies. The seminar series covered several topics such as Windows 8, Windows Phone 7, System Development, Windows Azure, Social Media Consulting as a Career, and Gas Monitoring for Safety Systems. The seminar series covered a lot of topics and had speakers with different specializations that made the learning experience diverse.

            The first topic for the seminar series revolved around the topic of Windows 8. Windows 8 is the new operating system to be released by Microsoft and is considered to be an innovative product by its new features that will impact its users. Windows 8 is considered as an emerging technology since the technology behind it is continually evolving from its previous versions and in this version, it involved a lot of principles in design and functionality that will assist and guide the users. The term “Metro Design” was the word that has been circling my mind throughout the seminar because it is the term they used to describe the “look and feel” of the new design of Windows 8. The speaker also made mention of the new features that Windows 8 added and modified such as People, Internet Explorer, Start Screen. These new features help the users integrate information and also focuses on what the users need to see rather than focusing on the application itself. Windows 8 showed that it focuses more on content which is what the users look for. At the end of the seminar, I realized that the functions and features of Windows 8 is not that innovative, the only thing new about it is the design, the design which made users use previous features better.

            The next topic for the seminar series was about Windows Phone 7. It is an advantage that it followed the Windows 8 seminar for the two topics are very relatable since Windows Phone 7 takes on Windows 8-like features. Windows Phone 7 also follows the “Metro Design” that is simple yet functional. The speaker also mentioned “Zune”, the windows version of the iTunes store, which is important for those who likes to play media on their phones. The user interface of Windows Phone 7 almost the same with Windows 8 as well as the functions. Although the seminar was informative, I am still not convinced to use a Windows Phone 7. Windows Phone 7 might be new to the eyes, but it almost functions the same way as any other smartphone in the market and lacks the innovative drive that wins the market.

            The third topic of the seminar series was about Systems Development, specifically geared towards System testing. The topic was interesting and the demonstration was very good. However, it was unfortunate that it took up time to troubleshoot which exposed to us that sometimes it is hard to keep up with these emerging technologies. Overall, this talk was able to mention how emerging technology caused the need for quality assurance and system testers which was overlooked before since the field was still developing.

            Windows Azure was another interesting topic for the seminar series. Windows Azure is a cloud-based service that caters different types of users. The seminar was able to clarify what is a “cloud” and what cloud services does Windows Azure offer. From the seminar, I was able to know that a “Cloud” is a set of connected servers where it can actually run services and store/retrieve data. The speaker also made mention several models that uses different architectures such as public, private and hybrid that modifies user access. After the speaker had defined what cloud is, the speaker then mentioned that Windows Azure is an operating system for the cloud and is designed for utility computing. Windows Azure’s main features include service management, computations, storage, and provision of developer experience. The speaker went on and discussed mostly technical details but it was very educational when the speaker compared using cloud service and using desktop applications where it was more flexible and controlled because of its features.

            The talk on Social Media Consulting as a Career was a very relatable topic for the seminar series because currently, Social Media is one of the most popular emerging technology that almost everyone uses and that it is a career option for us I.T. students. The talk was very informative since the speaker was able to mention his experiences while doing his job especially when he was dealing with his clients. We were able to learn what are the dimensions or mediums that are available that a Social Media Consultant needs to be aware of and the values or qualities that a Social Media Consultant should possess. The talk was very interesting and interactive at the same time and the speaker was able to communicate his ideas clearly. This talk was my favorite among the other topics in the seminar series since it is the most relatable since I use social media everyday and I learned the mechanics of how to manage these mediums and could be a career option in the future.

            The seminar topic about Gas Monitoring according to most of the block was the most unrelatable topic. The seminar was said to be informative but it was difficult to relate to. I think that  the importance of this seminar revolved around the technical side of how gas is being monitored. The advancement of the mechanics of monitoring gas was able to show that even if not all of us are familiar with the gas monitoring, the field is still considered as an emerging technology today.

            Overall, I think the seminar series opened up different perspectives regarding a few of emerging technologies out there that has the capacity to change our way of living and provide opportunities that didn’t exist before. The seminar series was indeed a great learning experience since the speakers were the ones who are exposed to these technologies and were able to share their knowledge to us students. The emerging technologies seminar showed that in our generation, technology is rapidly growing and that we, as IT students, need to be analytical in dealing with the technologies in order to ensure that these technologies can be fully maximized and that their disadvantage can be minimized.

The Bests and Worsts in Android

My 3 best android applications:

Best App # 1: Tap Tap Revenge 4

• For this application, I was able to enjoy it very well because it can play the game and it plays the music as well. The game aims at tapping the buttons at the bottom of the screen as the circles approach it. The game is pretty much addictive and its graphics range from each song you select. It often shows the artist and a background that reflects the song being played. The controls are also fun to use since you only need to tap 3 buttons but sometimes you can tilt the phone towards left, right and front which gives thrill while playing. The application contains a lot of songs, some are free, some are unlocked as your level goes up, and some can be bought at the store which makes the applications continuity become seamless. The game is really effective if you want to listen to music and move to its beat as well by using your fingers to tap. The game also provides a challenge to the user by allowing them to select difficulty levels that rushes your adrenaline as you select more difficult levels.

Best App # 2: Angry Birds

• This application I believe is the favorite of mostly everyone. The main goal of the game is to eliminate the evil piggies trying to steal the eggs. It involves the user using a gigantic slingshot to use the angry birds and aim them at the evil green piggies. The game is pretty addictive and the controls of the user is fun since you pretty much use it like a real slingshot where you drag the bird in the slingshot until you get the desired angle. The interface is also heavily detailed wherein even the items lying around seemingly as background can also explode along with the angry birds. The game also involves a lot of levels and different themes which can make you stick to the application.

Best App # 3: Can Knock Down

• This application for me is very appealing for its simplicity. The game involves the user throwing balls at a pile of cans to knock it down. The interface is pretty constant throughout the game and may look boring but I think that it doesn't take the seriousness of the game away that it makes you focus on what you should do. It has a repetitive nature but I still find it addictive especially obtaining the less consumption of the balls as your score goes higher. The best characteristic of the game can be it's simplicity and can function as a simple past-time game if you aren't the type of person who prefer a lot of functionalities in an application.

Worst Application #1: Hairy Legs

• Hairy legs might be a nice application at first, but it gets boring as you continue the game. It's controls just involves the user tilting the device to the left or to the right as the shaver goes down the leg. It's interface is not very much detailed as you would like it but it can still be entertaining. The game fails to fulfill its function to entertain the user as the user goes further into the game for it seems very repetitive and there are nothing much to expect as you progress in the game. I still recommend this application, however it gets very boring and will only capture your interest for 5 minutes or less.

Worst Application #2: Pig Shot

• This game is similar to the controls of Angry Birds however your aim here is to keep the pig rolling to get some points. This application is also very repetitive in nature and its interface is not well-detailed that you can easily get bored after playing some time. There are also no difficulty levels for users to select which makes the game hard after getting some points but there is actually nothing new as you progress. The game could enhance the graphics and add in some detail, also it could use some added attractions and cut-offs for the next level so that it could give the user some breaks and not bore them.

Worst Application #3: Cookie Dozer

• This application is visually a delicious treat. The graphics of the application is very cute and very engaging. However this application is a complete waste of time if you don't plan on spending. The application involves dropping cookies in the hopes of making the dozer drop more cookies. However you need to wait certain minutes before you can get a refill for your cookies which is a complete waste of time. The controls also just involve the dropping of a cookie which is not even accurate to the position you wanted it to land in. This is a very delicious looking application but it has nothing much to offer, it is purely an eye-candy.

My Personal Learning Network and Personal Learning Environment

These two diagrams below are my PLN and PLE :D