Sheepish Technology

According to some articles I have read lately, the program known as Firesheep may be battling a recently designed counterpart to its spying capabilities. When i first heard of the defending program, I was uncertain as to its success at repelling the intrusive actions of Firesheep users. However, from the information I have gathered, it appears that this Firesheep blocker has indeed provided protection against the program. This programs name - BlackSheep. Since Firesheep is a Firefox plugin, meaning it can only be used in conjunction with Firefox, BlackSheep serves as a Firefox extension which can be enabled to both detect and defend against Firesheep users. Under BlackSheep, the cookie, which Firesheep attempts to capture in order to spy into accounts, is faked. The victimized user is then alerted that Firesheep is being used by another party and the IP address of the offending party is also displayed.

As far as I can tell, the program is highly useful to guard against Firesheep users; both programs cannot be used in the same session of Firefox, but one would imagine that if BlackSheep was enabled, Firesheep wouldn't be. Even though Firefox is taking steps to limit the use of Firesheep (it can only be used under specific older versions of Firefox), I still believe that downloading BlackSheep would be the best action for most users who want their accounts and privacy protected to a better extent. An article which speaks to the usefulness of the BlackSheep extension is below as well.

http://techcrunch.com/2010/11/08/firesheep-blacksheep/

Savvy Sites

During the course of our classes, we were introduced to a few new websites which are always useful when searching for information regarding technology. i have since visited a number of potential sites on particular subjects about technology, specifically concerning the iPhone 5 or 4S. Of the sites I visited based on both references as well as simplistic Google searches, I found that the two main sites mentioned in class were, in fact, quite up to date and knowledgeable. The websites in question are Mashable.com and Techcrunch.com; of the two, I would recommend Techcrunch - it appeared to have a wider array of tech topics and was up to speed on current trends in a manner superior to Mashable. What I have discovered about the iPhone 5 is that it was previously scheduled to be released this year, however, due to factory issues they were forgo that release date. According to articles on these sites, the new date may be next year, yet it appears that many rumors regarding the iPhone 5 or 4S are still spiraling throughout the news and web circuits. As such, it's difficult to determine which rumors may come to pass and which are entirely untrue. In any case, I wanted to share some Techcrunch articles for those who may wish to read them.

http://techcrunch.com/2011/06/27/iphone-5-iphone-lite/

http://techcrunch.com/2011/05/27/ios-widgets-and-revamped-notifications/

http://techcrunch.com/tag/iphone-5/

http://mashable.com/2011/03/28/apple-iphone-5/

http://mashable.com/2011/02/15/iphone-5-rumors/

NewTek

Just the other morning, I was introduced to several technology based companies around the San Antonio area. Most dealt with communication or business related technologies, however, there was one company in particular which stood apart from the rest. This company was responsible for developing and implementing technologies within the film industry, as such it was not the typical IT corporation. The company we researched was known as NewTek; they have created impressive technology involving divergent areas of film production, from lighting functions to portable production devices. Their work is so extraordinary that they received various awards for their specially designed products, among which resides both Emmys and an Academy Award. This company is astounding as well as groundbreaking in their work, please visit them and see for yourselves a quality focused and truly exceptional tech company.

http://www.newtek.com/focus.php

http://www.crunchbase.com/company/newtek

CIO

On Saturday, my class was visited by a guest speaker, Marshall Eidson via a UStream video. Mr. Eidson spoke to us about technology and the roles he played as Chief Information Officer for the UIW campus. Among the functions which Mr. Eidson mentioned were managing budgets, hiring personnel, governance, and strategic planning. For each of these areas, subcategories were distinguished by our visitor. He stated that each area consisted of other subroles to be addressed, such as requests for proposals and reevaluating contracts, committee involvement, performance appraisals, selecting appropriate projects for funding, and numerous other functions. In addition to these roles mentioned above, Mr. Eidson also listed for us the 6 main tasks for a CIO under IT. The 6 tasks included infrastructure support for the University, technical support services (such as the Help Desk), enterprise systems (specifically Bannerweb), instructional technology (classroom setups), institutional research, and the Northwest Datapoint Team (a team working primarily at the School of Optometry for UIW). All of these tasks are crucial to the continued day to day operations of the campus. Even though many students realize that a department is responsible for these actions, it isn't until someone takes you through these everyday tasks that an appreciation begins to appear.

I can honestly say that I was extremely surprised and impressed at the sheer volume of tasks and roles associated with the position of CIO. Still, perhaps the most memorable area of conversation was when Mr. Eidson recalled his educational background. Evidently, he had spent a number of years do charitable work and it affected the way in which he viewed technology. In fact, I remember him stating that technology is a tool to do what we couldn't do before and that technology is about relationships between people. Accordingly, you must possess the interpersonal skills in order to have any hope of understanding technology properly. I have to say that I had never viewed technology in that light before. Thinking back to his video, I was truly moved by his beliefs and views when it came to technology. That is why I will share the UStream link with Mr. Eidson, CIO for The University of the Incarnate Word.

http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/15557480

Apps Reviewed

After posting my previous blog concerning the use of specific applications on mobile phones, I found an article from the bloggings done by tech savvy columnist and news correspondent, David Pogue. The article explains and describes the uses of 10 different applications which would be useful to any mobile phone user. I would go further into detail, but I don't want to ruin the article for anyone. Suffice to say, since reading this posting, I have downloaded a few apps myself. Hope you enjoy Mr. Pogue's post as much as I did.

http://pogue.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/11/18/ten-favorite-iphone-apps/ 

Mobile Phone Apps

The applications for our mobile devices appear to be limitless in today's technologically advanced world, however, I find that not of the apps are as useful to our lifestyles as others. While many different apps are available to us, many are simply designed without actual purpose, but rather as a way to pass the time; this can be better seen when looking and evaluating certain applications, such a gaming functions or music devices. Having stated that, I do believe that many apps can be useful to everyday situations.

Specifically, two apps will be discussed as playing a strong role for iPhone and mobile phone users. Speak4it is a free app which allows the user to pinpoint their location through either voice recognition or typing a location in a text box. However, it is better known for recognizing voice commands and is more user friendly than any other app which may offer a similiar option. Personally, I greatly enjoy using Speak4it, it allows me to find various locations for restaurants, banks, businesses, specific retailers - it is a highly versatile and useful tool. Perhaps, the only downside to the app is that when using the voice command, the user must speak clearly in order for the app to pick up the words accurately. The other app which can also be utilized would be Garage Band. This app provides the user with an instrument to perfect and edit their musical compositions; it can be used in numerous manners, particularly in editing. However, the only problem is the amount of tracks available to the user. These apps are both useful and should be a staple in any mobile users' app arsenal.

CamStudio...Testing

I believe that after some intensive tweaking, CamStudio may be working properly on my blog. Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGCuUr77qNs

First Attempt at UStream

http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/15461814


This is my first attempt at trying to link a UStream video onto my blog. Hopefully, it'll be a successful effort. I'll talk more about it as it goes on.

Evidently, the link has proven to be successful. As such, I can now discuss how to properly acquire both a UStream account as well as how to provide views of that video through a personal blog.

To begin, you must go to the web address of www.ustream.tv; there you will be able to click on Sign Up near the upper right hand corner of the page. The sign up process is clear and simple to understand or follow. Once you have an account established, you can add an app to both your iPad and iPhone (these apps will prove highly useful in the following steps).

After you have uploaded the app onto your iPad, you can select the choice to Record a Video. Using this function, you can begin to record any type of content you wish to display for either private or public purposes; once you finish recording press the Upload button on the screen.

Afterward, log in to your UStream account once again and under Manage Channel (on the left sidebar), select the option of Your Videos - the video you have just recorded should now be visible on your laptop. In order to create and post a link on your blog, simply choose the Public option above your video - you can choose the Private option, but I have found that when the link is clicked, the video will never fully load. Now click on your video and Copy the URL which appears when the video is playing.

All that is left is to go to your blog account and Paste that link onto the text box of your post. Hit the Publish Post button and when you visit your blog, you will have a workable link to your UStream video.

The steps seem a little involved, but they are quite simple once you begin working with the software. Good luck!

Blogging 101

As a different approach to communicating with the world in general, the idea of blogging has literally taken over the internet. Many people often use this function to explain thoughts, walk others through how to do an activity, or simply emphasize some aspect of their life. Personally, I was never completely certain about the usefulness of blogs prior to creating one myself.

Once I started using and understanding the functions of the blog site, through Blogger.com, I was able to see the free-flowing nature of blogs. It appears to be a simplistic concept, but after using my personal blog it is easy to understand how so many people could find a strong outlet within this mode of communication. As more and more followers read each blog, more interest grows in the material being read - allowing both the readers and the writer to feel a stronger connection not only with what is being written, but also between each other. Blogging truly is a fascinating method of building relationships among numerous individuals while also providing a release for the person writing their thoughts out.