http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2011/nov/01/governments-must-not-censor-internet
My Mass Communications professor gave me an essay:
"Write an essay developing the concepts behind media regulation. Provide a specific example."
At a loss, I Googled 'media regulation'. The first five pages of results? China. China and TV, China and the Internet... it seems that China's not handling the advent of social media well. One concept that I found highly improbable that was proposed? International Regulation of the Internet. Say what? I looked it up, and found this- according to the UK newspaper 'The Guardian', China's not the only one wanting to regulate the internet. Russia's on the bandwagon, too. In this article, British Parliament's Foreign Secretary William Hague is arguing against this- which I agree with. He states that the internet shouldn't be regulated for a multitude of reasons- namely, our privacy and our freedom of speech. He mentions the idea of cooperation, citing that 'cultural differences are not an excuse to water down human rights'. Fundamental issue? I certainly think so.
In a conference fabricated and created by Hague, The London Conference on Cyberspace, hundreds of internet users and influential member of the cyberspace society got together and discussed the future of the global economy, culture accommodation, and what potential regulations might be necessary. For almost three weeks, the problems posed by the advent of social media were speculated about by people from almost 25 different countries, giving countless cultures and opinions a voice in the matter. The common consensus? Internet needs to be monitored- for such a rapidly growing industry, countless problems and dangers could and will arise- but regulation? Sorry, China. That's a bit much.
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Siri says she's smarter than the average human...
http://mashable.com/2011/10/21/teach-siri-how-to-say-your-name/#30851Siri-Pronunciation-Training-All-Done
For the most part, my name is easy enough to pronounce. Cat. Marie. Silverman. Right? Still, coming from a huge, international city, I know plenty of people who both a) have highly unpronounceable names and b) can't pronounce names themselves, no matter how hard they try. Apple's digital personal assistant droid Siri, though, seems to have no such troubles. According to the article I found, Apple created a place in your address book where you can, quite literally, teach Siri how to pronounce your name. As this article shows you step-by-step, you put your name as phonetically as possible under the 'phonetic name' tab of your address book information, and she will automatically use that pronunciation before the one she would have automatically used based on the actual spelling.
As exciting as that is, though, Siri herself is exciting enough for me. I discovered her while studying with a friend. He kept trying to talk to me, and I kept shushing him and reminding him gently to do his part of the research- so he pulls out his phone.
'Siri, will you say hi to someone for me?' he asks. I glance over, alarmed at the fact that my comrade seems to be quite possibly losing it. Who is Siri- certainly not me. Has he named his iPhone? Is there a reason to name his iPhone? Better yet, though, even if she has a name- why is he talking to her (him? it?!) as though she's an animate object that can respond? As I'm thinking this, though, I hear-
'Yes, Gary. Who would you like me to say hi to?'
Wait. What?? That was crazy. The phone just spoke! Gary grinned at my face. 'Say hello to Cat, Siri.'
'Hello, Cat. Would you like me to send Cat a text or an email of this message?'
Gary requested a text, and Siri pulled open his messages, opened my contact, typed out 'Hello, Cat'... and sent me the message. It was fascinating. This isn't all Siri can do interactively, though. You can open contacts, text them, email them, call them, or set appointments with them- that are texted or emailed to them based on your preference, and then added to your own appointment calendar. You can open apps, select songs, hold a conversation, ask questions, or hear a story... should you be so inclined. Well done, Steve Jobs. Truly- well done. And the best part, planet? Siri's not only useful, but she can pronounce anything. Want more information on Siri or the iPhone 4S? Go ahead and visit Apple's website- I'll post the link below.
http://www.apple.com/
For the most part, my name is easy enough to pronounce. Cat. Marie. Silverman. Right? Still, coming from a huge, international city, I know plenty of people who both a) have highly unpronounceable names and b) can't pronounce names themselves, no matter how hard they try. Apple's digital personal assistant droid Siri, though, seems to have no such troubles. According to the article I found, Apple created a place in your address book where you can, quite literally, teach Siri how to pronounce your name. As this article shows you step-by-step, you put your name as phonetically as possible under the 'phonetic name' tab of your address book information, and she will automatically use that pronunciation before the one she would have automatically used based on the actual spelling.
As exciting as that is, though, Siri herself is exciting enough for me. I discovered her while studying with a friend. He kept trying to talk to me, and I kept shushing him and reminding him gently to do his part of the research- so he pulls out his phone.
'Siri, will you say hi to someone for me?' he asks. I glance over, alarmed at the fact that my comrade seems to be quite possibly losing it. Who is Siri- certainly not me. Has he named his iPhone? Is there a reason to name his iPhone? Better yet, though, even if she has a name- why is he talking to her (him? it?!) as though she's an animate object that can respond? As I'm thinking this, though, I hear-
'Yes, Gary. Who would you like me to say hi to?'
Wait. What?? That was crazy. The phone just spoke! Gary grinned at my face. 'Say hello to Cat, Siri.'
'Hello, Cat. Would you like me to send Cat a text or an email of this message?'
Gary requested a text, and Siri pulled open his messages, opened my contact, typed out 'Hello, Cat'... and sent me the message. It was fascinating. This isn't all Siri can do interactively, though. You can open contacts, text them, email them, call them, or set appointments with them- that are texted or emailed to them based on your preference, and then added to your own appointment calendar. You can open apps, select songs, hold a conversation, ask questions, or hear a story... should you be so inclined. Well done, Steve Jobs. Truly- well done. And the best part, planet? Siri's not only useful, but she can pronounce anything. Want more information on Siri or the iPhone 4S? Go ahead and visit Apple's website- I'll post the link below.
http://www.apple.com/
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)