Technology Assignment

Ahseante’ Hicks

A01467849

CMST 3050

 

At some point in time most of us have probably seen a futuristic television show and or movie in which there was a character that was a self-thinking robot. It can communicate and have full interaction with others. Well technology has not got us quite that far, but there is now a new family robot that can open the door to having the first robot from the Jetson’s on the production line.

Introducing the newest family robot, JIBO.

 

JIBO is the friendly family robot that can see, speak, hear, learn, help and relate to the surrounding people. Think of this robot as the all-in-one tablet, phone and camera. To help see it has two hi-resolution cameras that recognize and track faces, take photos and allow for immersive video calling. It is able to learn your preferences to adapt and fit into your life through Artificial Intelligence. There are 360 degree microphones and a natural language processor that lets you talk to JIBO from anywhere in the room. One of the biggest items I feel is new with this type of technology is JIBO can relate to the person using natural social and emotive cues. Something interesting I found is through its messenger application JIBO has the ability to recognize each member of a household, to deliver the correct messages to the right people at the right time and place. What this also means is JIBO can be synced to your electronics and be integrated into certain household appliances.

 

Most technology is targeted to a specific audience depending on the product. The great thing about JIBO is the technology is targeted to all ages from kids all the way through senior citizens. I also think this technology still has its limitations. For starters, JIBO is stationary. Unless you carry it around with you around the house it pretty much has to stay in one room. Also, JIBO must stay hooked up to a charging pad for uses over 30 minutes.

 

I think JIBO has the ability to affect communication in a big way with families. With little kids it has the ability to tell stories so if parents feel too tired to tell their child a bed time story JIBO can step in. With everyone else it can act as a means to get information without ever having to type it in on your phone or computer. I imagine eventually the developers will add some form of mobility. If and when that happens the need for a portable source that last longer than 30 minutes will also have to be included. As people begin to use this type of hands free technology I believe you will start to see a decrease in the use of bulky computers. The next thing we will see are robots that not only do what JIBO can do, they will be able to walk and talk and probably be able to do our homework all while keeping track of my daily schedule.

http://www.myjibo.com/

Social Media Case

I was able to find numerous articles regarding this social media frenzy over the oral surgeon laying off his employee so she could fight her battle with cancer. I was surprised with the amount of negative imagery was shown towards the doctor. Few reports portrayed the doctor in a positive light.

In the Huffington Post article the headline of the piece is “A Woman Told Her Boss About A Devastating Cancer Diagnosis. He Responded By Firing Her.” To make this a headline sends a strong message to the readers. One that says the doctor has no feelings and is cold-hearted. What stuck out to me was the word “fired”. To say Dr. George Visnich fired his employee, Carol Jumper, was completely inappropriate of the article because when I read the letter, he hand wrote to her, he specifically states that he is laying her off. There is a clear distinction between the two. When a person is fired it is usually because of issues with their personal performance which makes them ineligible for unemployment. In this case what transpired was out of Carol’s control so to say she was fired is taking what happened out of context.

In reading the article I could not help to feel sorry for the doctor. I feel he handled the situation in a professional manner given the circumstances. He hand wrote her a letter when he could have easily had one of his assistants send a generic letter. He stated that with the rigorous treatment she will be under there will be side effects that would make her become a distraction which I feel is appropriate since she works for an oral surgeon. I think the use of the word “distraction” was a little harsh and could steer people in getting the wrong Idea at what he wanted to say. I think he did his best to personalize the letter as best as he could without taking away from him being professional about it. At the same time I can also see how his wording could come off sounding like he did not care and insincere. I think that with him trying to maintain a level of professionalism in his first paragraph it took away from the emotional aspect. His approach should have been more sympathetic to help with the coping of her no longer having a job.

As I looked at the comments I could see a lot of people had similar thoughts on the situation. That is he doctor is a horrible person, should not be able to keep his job, insincere, ruthless and the list goes on. I saw comments where people posted his physical address. I also saw many people make threats to him. I think there is a fine line in which a person can express themselves. I saw only a few comments that were in defense of the doctor. I do not understand how people can type the things they do. It makes me wonder if they know the things say are seen by millions of people and that their words can alter a person’s life.

Something that I think many people have failed to look at more closely is the fact that Carol has cancer in three different organs. With cancer in numerous places it means the chemotherapy treatments are going to have to much more intense in order for her to have a fighting chance. With the amount of radiation she will be exposed to her energy levels will most likely be nonexistent. The cancer was only discovered once she was in physical pain. This is a clear sign that she has had it for an extended amount of time. If she tries to work and devote her time to fighting her cancer she would be counterproductive and the efficiency at which she works would diminish greatly.  I think if people looked at that fact there would be more support for the doctor.

Having her friend post the letter on Facebook was a great way to get people to pay attention to the cancer. I think that part of this was a ploy to get others to support and donate, which they have done a great job. All of the reports I read were in favor of the Carol and there is nothing out there of reporters attempting to get the other side of the story, being what the doctor thought. The social media can be a cruel place. There are many things that are said and get twisted around so that the viewer takes the side of the writer. It is something I think needs to change because incidents such as this ruin lives.

Online Reputation

Date: September 23, 2014

To: David A. Ball

From: Ahseante’ Hicks

Subject: Online Reputation

 

 

David, I looked you up online and found out a lot about who you are. Your Linkedin, Facebook and other pieces of information helped me gather my information.  Everything below is what I was able to learn.

 

In looking for details on your professional life I found out from your Linkedin page that you currently have numerous jobs. You work for Red Bull as a student brand manager, you are a video production assistant at D.E. Media Production and you are the Co-Founder at Brave New World Productions. You plan on graduating in the spring of the year 2015 with a bachelor’s degree in marketing communication. Based on the number of jobs you have done with Red Bull it appears to me that you may one day want to make a career working alongside them. I say alongside them and not for them because you state how you feel an ideal job is one which allows an individual an autonomous relationship with the working world, allowing you the opportunity to interact freely with the world around and actively be engaged in your own element. I can tell that you enjoy working in the communications/media department. Your top skill appears to be marketing communications with social media right behind it. With how well your page is organized and the way you have worded your information, you probably enjoy writing and reading. Everything about your Linkedin page tells me you are versatile person with many skills. Also you probably have numerous connections in the professional world.

     https://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=279714777&authType=NAME_SEARCH&authToken=3e_j

 

Your Facebook page gave me a lot of insight into your own personal life. I found that you were born on September 4 in Denver, Colorado. You graduated from Northglenn High School in the year 2011. You have one sister, Sarah, and two brothers, Jason and Ryan. You also have at least two cousins, Jake and Kyra. I had a difficult time finding other things involving your family other than your graduation party pictures which leads me to believe you are somewhat private when it comes to divulging information about them. From looking at your various picture albums I can tell you are a very adventurous person and I am going to go as far as to say a high-stakes risk taker. I get the feeling that you are somewhat spontaneous at times. You have over 1,200 friends which to me is impressive. Based on the amount of friends you have I would have to say you are social and like to keep up to date with friends from years back who you do not get the opportunity to visit with anymore. On your timeline you have some interesting posts. It leads me to believe you enjoy thinking in a philosophical manner. Also, you love to take pictures that capture the many spontaneous moments you create with your friends. With the frequency in which post on your Facebook you seem like the person who wants people to know what you are thinking in the moment and what you are doing. You have a vast taste in music.  From what I know about the movies you like, there are more that contain action so you probably are a big fan of action films.

https://www.facebook.com/daviddenverball

 

The most interesting I found on you is your YouTube account. The first link that appeared on google is a video of you and a few other aggie students skydiving with the Red Bull skydiving athletes. I was not expecting to see you do such a thing. This solidifies my thought that you are a high stakes risk taker. Also, I discovered that you can play the drums rather well. Based on your videos it looks like you enjoy making videos and that you spend a good amount of time working on them. Your YouTube account gave me a good side to see your creative side.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bGOjc0maBF8&list=UUEXoQBTLtUbmDDinCy9cyIw

 

From your Twitter account I can see you are a frequent tweeter and retweeter. I can tell that you feel Logan, Utah is not the greatest place on Earth based on the amount that you retweet the account Logan Utah Sucks. Your header “Raised By Wolves” tells me that in some ways you may feel alone or you think of yourself as more of an individual and leader than a follower. Judging the style of tweeting you do I assume you like to write tweets that get your followers to chuckle.

https://twitter.com/DavidDenverBall/with_replies

 

I found that you have a INK361 account. I do not know exactly what type of social media website this is but judging on the looks it appears to be something similar to a combination of Instagram and Twitter. I can tell that you are not as active on this website like you are on Twitter. The pictures you have on your page contain more editing than others I have seen on other websites so you might you this page to show off your creative side on pictures.

                http://ink361.com/app/users/ig-25639890/daviddenverball/photos#/users/ig-25639890/daviddenverball/photos

 

To sum up what I found I can tell you are someone is enjoys being on the move. You do not like to have dull moments in your life. You have an open lifestyle where like people to know what you are doing and you keep your family private. You know where you want to be in the future and have a plan for how to get there. The social media is like your second home and you are a well-rounded person.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Letter to Cousin

Dear Zach,

I am writing to you in regards to your questions you asked me about technical and professional communication. I am pleased to see that you have taken an interest in this field of study. This degree is so versatile to have in the work force because everyone needs to have proper and professional communication skills. I know that you will learn a lot from the classes.

Technical and professional communication is the use of documents to transfer information to different clientele and or consumers. As a professional it is such an important aspect to be able to communicate in a way such that whoever it might be can receive and interpret the message correctly. Communication is used everywhere and is very important now more than ever due to the amount technology has progressed. The internet has become such a big presence in our daily lives. It is easy to access. People present themselves now through blogs, all forms of social media, business websites, and many other features, but it is not enough to have only an online form of you.

It is important to remember to conduct yourself in a manner that is professional. With much of the content on the internet available to the public there is always risks involving security. So it is always a good idea to cognizant of the information that you share amongst others. Often businesses will go online to search for information on you. Can you imagine the possible thoughts a potential employer would have if they saw work that was sloppy or even damaging to others? There is a place and time to be casual but the internet is beginning to not be one of those places.

The field of technical and professional communication is all about creating a professional persona. It includes conducting proper interviews, writing portfolios, and most importantly conducting yourself a the best professional as possible. This degree is very versatile because there so many areas of focus that you can get into. A few to list out are working with human resources, marketing director, and being a communication consultant. Many companies rely on Professional communicators to assist in various tasks such as making communication more effective within their organization.

I know that you and I have not communicated much over the years but, I hope that with what I have told you it will help you with your decision in choosing the right field of study for you. I am always here to help you whenever you need it little cousin, and enjoy your first year of college.

Sincerely,

Ahseante’ Hicks