What is ‘The Internet of Things’? It may be a phrase you have heard before, but are unsure of what it means or if it is important in your life at all, or you are completely unfamiliar with the phrase. So what does it actually mean?

In simple terms, ‘The Internet of Things’ are physical objects that can connect to the internet, but if you want to delve deeper, they are objects that become tangibly sociable. Think basically first, your smartphone, Fitbit or laptop, are all physical objects that can connect the ever-present internet. But it doesn’t just stop there. It is security systems, fridges, cars, thermostats and so much more.

Technology is embedded in so many of the objects that we own that we may not even be aware of. This doesn’t mean we should be worried (at least not yet). With technology implanted in various objects, it allows for many opportunities and platforms for growth and education. The data that we can gain from these new technology-based objects is indescribable and can only bring more awareness into issues and how to better provide for consumers needs and wants.

On the other hand, many people are worried about their security and privacy as many of these products are put to market with little consideration of these facts. This is definitely a valid concern but in a world of technology, there may be the need for compromise.

Cybercrime. Many have heard about it and many already know the dangers it imposes. Cybercrime has become the most prevalent crime all over the world. With the various types of cybercrime that are circulating, it is almost impossible to not come across one or more forms in your life. Attacking computer systems, cyber-bullying, illegal/prohibited content, online child sexual abuse materials, identify theft, online trading issues, email spam/phishing and online scams or fraud, all count as types of cybercrime. 

It is important to know what they are and how you can avoid being caught up in such schemes. If you have an email address, it is very likely you have received an email that looks something like this. Many are smart enough, these days, to look at this phishing scam and delete it straight away, not falling for the scam. However, this isn’t always the case. These scams can be detrimental to your privacy rights. Many scams take your information, leave nasty viruses on your computer and can even take away your money.

Cybercrime is scary and dangerous. It is time that people start paying attention to how it is affecting the economy and many innocents’ lives.

Hacking. In our current society, it can mean one of two things. Many people with either associate hacking with hardstyle, EDM and Defcon1. Hacking and Gabbering are key to this culture. However, on the other hand, its the computer skill which gains unauthorised access to data via a computer or system.

Hacking is a very common part of our culture, especially infiltrating our pop culture. Hacking first became popular in the 1980’s when it became apart of a movie called War Games. Ever since then, hacking has become increasingly prevalent in our popular culture. Many shows have had their footholds in the hacking industry such as Mr Robot and CSI Cyber. Many crime shows and movies have all introduced the idea of hacking into pop culture, but how has it been portrayed in these entertainment forms.

Typically hacking is not visually appealing and can be considered quite boring, considering it is just line upon lines upon lines of code typed onto a computer screen. What pop culture has been able to accomplish, is to make hacking seem cool and almost fun. However, this can be a problem because hacking is serious business and can get many people into serious trouble. Many people need to take a step back from the shows and movies to really look into what hacking is, and how it has changed lives.

 

 

Have you ever looked around you and noticed the technology we have everywhere? This the world we live in today. Technology is everywhere and is inescapable, but does this mean its a bad thing?

With the technology we have access to, people are constantly connected to each other and connected to content and information. This connectivity is power and it’s social media networks that further this power. Social media is addictive, and this is because participation in online forums is addictive.

Social media is an entry point for content creation in its most basic form. Leaving a comment on someone’s post, creating a meme from a viral video. However, it goes much further than this. Social media is an organisation tool, it rallies people together and connects people in a new and exciting way. When was the last time you got a handmade invitation to something? Many cannot remember because it all happens on Facebook.

There are specific roles that social media play in our lives, mobilization, coordination and dissemination and it’s powerful. In many cases, social media has helped revolutions and even started them. It helps to acknowledge the problems in societies that don’t have a light constantly shining down upon them. Being connected by social media gives movements a platform of power.

 

The emergence of new technologies in this century has changed the way journalism is portrayed and how it is defined. With these technologies, mass broadcasting has become more prevalent in our society. This has taken the centralised network of traditional news formats and turned it into a new distributed network.

With the development of iPhones and other smart devices, it is so easy to capture content and broadcast it to the world via various social media outlets. The internet has allowed individual and mass communication creating an information avalanche. Drones, in particular, have become a vital technology in a mass broadcasting world. Drone footage can now be considered journalism and it provides consumers with more content and more information.

What this Youtube video exemplifies, is the change from consumers to prosumers. Consumers now have the ability to add to information loops with their own technologies and their own stories. This evolution has been so important for journalism and debunking the theory that traditional news sources are always right.

The battle between Apple and Android seems like an age-old debate in today’s society. Many people cannot remember a time when they weren’t rivals. While many people have already made their minds up on whether they are an iOS or Android users, but there are many more factors that people may need to start considering when they are faced with the choice. There is one stark difference between the two communications devices and that is one device is a closed network and the other is open. You can probably take the guess for yourselves on which is which.

For those who couldn’t work it out, Apple and its operating system iOS is a closed network. A walled garden of apps completely controlled by Apple. However, Google/Android have an open network. It is a free network where you have numerous choices in applications and how the mobile phone works for you. It is up to you to decide which network type works best for you, and yes, closed networks can indeed be good. So maybe instead of looking purely at aesthetics or just choosing the phone, you grew up with all your life, maybe look further into the system and diagnostics on which they run.

Feudalism. It is a concept of a social system dating back to middle ages where the nobility held lands from the Crown in exchange for military service, and vassals. The feudal lord controlled all aspects of the land use and the peasants were categorised as free, however, for many that did not seem the case.

Many would then assume that in today’s internet society, this system would have been eradicated, although, that may not be the case. An article posted by ‘The Conversation’ goes into further detail about the return to feudalism via the internet and how it is currently affecting people. The internet is typically a distributed network where each node can broadcast to the entire network. The creation of certain apps like Facebook, the Apple App store, Google Play, Amazon have taken away certain freedoms that the internet allows and thus only showcases curated content and this content is directly tied to the platform from which it came.

What are the most wonderful parts of the internet? Is it the freedom that it allows? Is it the endless hours of entertainment that can be provided by the endless clips of Youtube and every social media app? Or maybe it is the creative aspect that became available?

The development of the internet has brought many things, especially the development of amateur publishing. For example, this blog post. I am not a hired journalist/blogger. I do not make money off of any blog post I publish on this website. The article ‘Weblogs and the Mass Amateurization of Publishing’ further emphasises this idea of amateur publishing and amateur content creation. With the growth of non-professional publishing comes an abundance of opinions and information on a variety of topics and issues. Not only does this enable a platform a new brand of creativity but also provides niche entertainment for niche audiences, helping the population feel incorporated into internet paradigm.

 

 

How do online networking and online transactions thrive in our community? What is it that makes this possible? It is information flows. Referring again to the evolution of the internet, cyberspace has allowed information to be free and easily accessible wherever you are in the world. Allowing networking sites to prosper in our society.

With the development of this, it has affected our work lifestyle and what now classifies as a typical nine to five day. Laptops, smartphones, and tablets have made it virtually impossible for us to escape the online world, meaning we are constantly connected. Gregg furthers this idea in his journal article, ‘Function Creep: Communication technologies and anticipatory labour in the information workplace’. Although technology has opened up a number of positive opportunities, Gregg also touches on the negatives and how technology has put extra pressures on work and home life. 

 

 

As I showcased in my previous blog post, the evolution of the internet has been so important to the society that we live in today. I pose a question, where would we be now without the evolution of these technologies?

The society we are currently living in is completely reliant on the technology that we have today. We don’t go a few minutes without being on the internet in some form. As of right now, reading this, you are using the internet, the cyberspace. Checking your phone for a snapchat, you online. Making your presence known.

John Perry Barlow writes on the independence and governance of cyberspace and its paramount nature to society. Today’s society utilises the internet in such a way where we build relationships, create transactions, and use it to express our freedoms. Though many people may not fully understand their actions in cyberspace, it doesn’t mean that those actions aren’t noticed and significant.