DaBrook.orgLearning Resource for
Web Design and IB ITGS

Last Edited: 05 December 2008

Citation:
"Ground Bot: A rugged surveillance ball that sees it all." Popular Science. 01 Dec 2008. <http://www.popsci.com/bown/2008/product/ground-bot>.

Article Summary:

The GroundBot is a sphere shaped object that goes 6 mph through many types of surroundings.  Its job is to act like surveillance, as it picks up information about its surrounding environment.

Social and Ethical Issues Explained:

Privacy is affected because operators have the ability to see surroundings elsewhere, which another might feel threatened by if its their own surroundings.

IT Systems Described:

It uses two wide-angle cameras and sensors that give remote operators a 360-degree view of the landscape.  Operators can look closer at images such as prowlers, and can also sense gas leaks, biohazards, and radioactivity.

Area of Impact Explained:

It can check for radioactivity, biohazards and gas leaks.  Swedish physicists wanted to use it to explore other planets.

Last Edited: 05 December 2008

Citation:
Morgenstern, Steven. "Livescribe Pulse: The pen that listens." Popular Science. 26 Nov 2008. <http://www.popsci.com/bown/2008/product/livescribe-pulse>.

Article Summary:

Livescribe made a new product called Pulse, which is a digital pen.  It is a step up from the regular digital pen that just takes in someone’s handwriting and what they’re writing because it also takes in sound.

Social and Ethical Issues Explained:

Privacy can be affected if the sound recordings include information that the speaker does not want to be shared.  Some professors may not appreciate their lectures being recorded by students, which can be accessed by others.

IT Systems Described:

The Pulse uses the same technology as other digital pens, which digital pen, which capture handwriting as an image file.  However, it pairs the text with an audio recording. The pen records every sound while taking notes with it, except the filtered out sounds which include the pen scratching on the paper.

Area of Impact Explained:

This can help a lot with individuals who need to take notes quickly for courses, such as students in college. It helps convenience people who do not have very legible handwriting, and a regular digital pen won’t get the job done.

Last Edited: 05 December 2008

Citation:
Garg, Nisha. "Radio Stations Streaming Live on the Internet" ITworld. 5 Dec 2008. <http://www.itworld.com/internet/58826/radio-stations-streaming-live-internet>.

Article Summary:

The article talks about websites where you can listen to live streamed radio stations. The article also talks about the advantages over the live streamed radio stations versus listening to a regular radio.

Social and Ethical Issues Explained:

Intellectual Property-  With the streamed radios stations more people will be able to express their ideas over the internet easier and a lot cheaper.
Equality of Access- Since the live streamed stations are listened to over the internet people are now able to access them easier and almost anywhere they go, with the spread of networks and wifi.
Globalization and Cultural Diversity- On these stations there would be more of a diversity, becuase there a lot more people on these radio stations who are able to express their views and their belifs, creating a lot of diversity.

IT Systems Described:

Networks- The radio stations will all be networked through the internet, and social networking over different stations will become more frequent.
The Internet- Will be used to share the streamed stations. Can be shared throughout the whole world, versus just a region with the globalization of the internet
Public Communications.

Area of Impact Explained:

Art’s Entertainmen and Leisure is impacted becuase with the diversity of the streamed radio stations people will be able to find a station they like and are entertain while listening to it

Last Edited: 05 December 2008

Citation:
Lawson, Stephen."AT&T hopes for single smartphone OS" ITworld. 4 Dec. 2008.<http://www.itworld.com/mobile-amp-wireless/58801/att-hopes-single-smartphone-os>.

Article Summary:

The article talks about how AT&T wants to have one universial operating system for all of its smartphones. The company estimates that by 2014 smartphones will make up the largest portion of devices connecting to its network by about 2014, and with one universal operating system than they can avoid the fragmentation of platforms that has made it hard to develop mobile applications.

Social and Ethical Issues Explained:

The social and ethical issues explained are control and policies and standards. Control is explained because by creating one universal operating system they would have enough control the fragmentation of platforms that will help the efficency of the company. Policies and standards was discussed, because the article talks about the operating system standard that they want to create and the policies that they will have for it.

IT Systems Described:

Applications- With the new operating system it would make it easier to create new mobile programs for AT&T, which will probably lead to an increase in the variety of programs.

Area of Impact Explained:

Business and Employment is an area of impact, because with the operating system they will be able to avoid fragmentation of platforms and make it easier to program applications, which will increase the efficiency of their company.

Last Edited: 04 December 2008

Citation:
Adapted from article by Tore Oksholen/Gemini. "Real-time Beethoven." Science Daily. 1 Dec. 2008. 3 Dec. 2008 <http://sciencedaily.com>.

Article Summary:

This article is about a new, highly sophisticated program that can compose and play complicated music based on simple melodies. It was created by Oyvind Brandtsegg from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU).
IT system in question:

Social and Ethical Issues Explained:

The main ethical issue is comparing this electrically composed and played music to living musician’s work. For many people (including myself), it seems a bit distressing to think that creative musicians and composers can be outplayed by a computer program. After all, is randomly combining audio samples a form of creativity?

IT Systems Described:

The main IT system involved is a type of artificial intelligence. The program digitizes samples of music (a simple melody or excerpt from a song) and uses a combination of random combinations and highly sophisticated musical patterns to compose a new variation on a song, alter it, and then play it using any type of electronic instrument. It basically can do what creative jazz improvisers do: take a simple musical idea and make it more complex, diversified, and compelling.

Area of Impact Explained:

This technology impacts art, leisure and entertainment because it is used to create music. Also, since the technology is able to put together new musical patterns, it could give insight and ideas to living musical composers.

Last Edited: 04 December 2008

Citation:
Greenemeier, Larry. "Who Needs a Doctor When There's a Robot in the House, er, Hospital?" Scientific American. 4 Dec. 2008. 4 Dec. 2008 <http://sciam.com>.

Article Summary:

This article is about the testing of RP-7, a robot made by InTouch Technologies, Inc. When medical specialists are not available in an urgent situation, these robots are supposed to make up for a doctor’s physical absence and help him or her monitor and diagnose the patient from far off. The robot has a camera, microscope, and other medical devices that a doctor can monitor from his or her laptop miles away. The doctor can also control the movement of the robot. The robot even has a monitor that displays the doctor’s face for the patient.

Social and Ethical Issues Explained:

One major issue with this technology is whether or not a doctor’s ability to treat a patient is impaired by the technology’s limitations. In order to determine its quality, the technology is now in the testing stage at The William Lehman Injury Research Center in Miami.

IT Systems Described:

The main IT system is the internet and/or telecommunication. Presently, it is based on broadband, but researchers are hoping to make it so doctors can treat distant patients from their cell phones. Another IT system involved is AI. The robot has to maneuver around hospitals without being a nuisance. It is true that doctors control their movement, but they are also programmed to use infrared and other detectors to help maneuver themselves.

Area of Impact Explained:

This technology impacts health. If it succeeds in testing, it will mean that patients in emergency cases will not lose their lives simply because the type of doctor they need cannot get to the hospital.

Last Edited: 04 December 2008

Citation:
Rosenblatt, Dana. "Behavioral screening -- the future of airport security?" CNN 2 Dec. 2008. 4 Dec. 2008 <http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/12/02/ airport.security/index.html>.

Article Summary:

This article is about new security measures that are beginning to be developed for airports.  This security measures involves behavioral profiling.  New technologies will scan the passengers and read their emotions and intentions to decide if they are a possible terrorist threat.  Possible security measures include “smart seats,” “smart carpets,” and voice analysis to detect stress and determine how risky a person may be.

Social and Ethical Issues Explained:

Privacy and Anonymity - With “smart carpets” to determine your intentions with your steps and “smart seats” to determine your intentions by measuring your body heat, these seem very intrusive.
People and machines - We will not know how effective these security measures will be.  There were already problems in the making of the voice analysis software because it considered people with speech impediments as threats.  Also, these detectors are searching for stress.  What if a person is having a bad day or they are nervous because it’s their first time flying?  Will they be considered a threat and be brought into questioning?

IT Systems Described:

Modeling and simulations - Faulty or hidden assumptions might be made with the new security methods.  People who are not threats could be picked up while an apathetic terrorist can slip through the cracks of the system.
Artificial intelligence and expert systems - It is up to the system to distinguish between whose intentions are good and whose are bad.  Super skilled terrorists might be able to beat the system.  It is just a machine, after all.

Area of Impact Explained:

Police: This relates to security and surveillance measures.  Firms, such as WeCU Technologies, that are working to develop these new sensors, want to make the security lines at the airports faster but at the same time, make the airport, and world, safe from terrorists and terrorist attacks.  These new security measures are not meant to be interrogative but detective of harmful intents because terrorists can easily get past the present system, metal detectors.

Last Edited: 04 December 2008

Citation:
Wax, Emily. "Gunmen Used Technology as A Tactical Tool." The Washington post 3 Dec. 2008: A01. 4 Dec. 2008 <http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/ content/article/2008/12/02/AR2008120203519.html>.

Article Summary:

Gunmen in the Mumbai attacks made a sophisticated use of technology in the 60-hour siege. They used Blackberries with switchable sim card to avoid detection, satellite telephones, images on cd’s like those from Google Earth, and language anomylizers to avoid ethnic or cultural identification. Investigators say the attack would not have been possible without the aid of technology

Social and Ethical Issues Explained:

People and Machines
Machines have made the lives of many people extremly easier. But, as is evident through the attacks on Mumbai, it does not only help people of society, it also helps those who would destroy it. Technology is allowing Terrorist and the like to become more efficient at what they do, and can give them an advantage in the planning of their attacks. This is especially noted when the victim nation is technologically inferior to the terrorists. it allows terrorist faster communication and better organization. If technology where to continue to facilitate terrorists under the regulations we have now, an alternative should be sought out.

IT Systems Described:

Internet and internet applications
The internet is a host of many services like google earth that provide satellite images of any area. This once seemingly harmless service was used to plan devastating attacks in Mumbai allowing terrorist to plan with great detail.
Personal and Public communication
Emails used in the attacks were able to be scrambled and coded which prevents authorities from being able to assuredly track down those responsible for the attacks.

Area of Impact Explained:

Terrorist use of It
Terrorist are able to access incredibly detailed information on their targets with services like Google earth. Terrorists can become more effective and deadly through technology. In this case, terrorists who were inexperienced sailors, were able to use GPS systems to navigate their ship, which was essential in the attack. Military bases are exposed in great detail through online services like Google Earth which is free to anyone.Technology allowed their communication to be both efficient and hard to trace. Technology is basically giving any person the ability to plan and attack anywhere on the Earth. This may cause world regulation on the types of services available online to become stricter in an attempt to prevent a repeats of Mumbai.

Last Edited: 04 December 2008

Citation:
Vance, Ashlee. "Amazon Starts Renting Out the Human Genome." New York Times 4 Dec. 2008. 4 Dec. 2008 <http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/12/04/ amazon-starts-renting-out-the-human-genome>.

Article Summary:

This article was about how Amazon web services are now offering access to data collections to businesses and scientists.  Information offered includes census databases and the human genome.  Businesses find this new service very beneficial because they don’t have to build their own computing infrastructure; they can spend more time on doing the actual work and research.

Social and Ethical Issues Explained:

Equality of Access - Consumers can access the database for free, but they have to pay for the computing horsepower needed to sort through the information or store it.  I assume that these costs are pretty expensive, so people who cannot afford to pay for the computing horsepower will not be able to sort through and store information easily, if at all.

IT Systems Described:

Systems Fundamentals - This relates to the economic value of information.  Since the data is accessible through a database, the businesses do not have to take the time to set up their own infrastructure; this web service is very efficient for businesses.  This shows the importance of digital data as well as the importance of being able to access digital data easily.
Networks - Through this network, businesses and researchers are able to look for the data that they need.
Databases and spreadsheets - The data is stored in and accessed from an Amazon database.
The Internet - The service is available online.

Area of Impact Explained:

E-commerce: This new service allows companies to search for information and research through databases.  The businesses then use the information as a basis for computing jobs.  Businesses benefit from this new service because it saves them the hassle of assembling and managing the data on their own.

Last Edited: 04 December 2008

Citation:
Krebs, Brian. "Theives Stole Identity to Tap Home Equity." The Washingtonpost 28 Nov. 2008: E10. 4 Dec. 2008 <http:///www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/ content/article/2008/11/27/AR2008112702027.html>.

Article Summary:

An international fraud ring hijacked home equity lines of credit to steal 2.5 million dollars through wires.Online public and private databases were used to obtain to locate targets with relatively untapped home equity credit lines. The Databases also helped in finding information like social security numbers, mothers maiden names, and signatures. In order to verify the transfer, the thieves would transfer the victims phone number to an alternate number. In order to avoid detection public wireless networks and wireless PC cards, that were bought in other victims names, were used to mask location.

Social and Ethical Issues Explained:

Security:The level of security of credit lines and bank accounts has diminished due to the internet, online databases, and wireless networks. Any private information given for and online purchase or survey can be obtained and used against users to have their identity and money stolen. The perpetrators become almost impossible to find if they are clever in how technology is used to get the identity or money.This gives additional support to the idea that we are becoming to dependent on technology, and are exposing ourselves to malicious hackers.

IT Systems Described:

Internet
The internet is used to access the various networks and obtain information from them. In this case it was done so maliciously, to steal money.
Databases
Databases were used to obtain information that would aid the thieves in stealing money. Information that is commonly used as security answer’s: Mother’s maiden name, age, social security numbers,etc.
Networks
Networks, or in this case public access networks were used to mask the location of those who stole money.

Area of Impact Explained:

Banking and Finance
Online Banking is considered to be easy and convenient. however these recent identity and credit thefts show the high risk of having electronic access to money through a non-private network. This may cause banks to rethink the way in which they give access to customers, and they may increase security. Online credit reports may use this as a means to increase their profits by scaring people into being constantly worried about their credit.