Overview

Its been a long long journey ever since the start of this semester.

From e-commerce to Internet tools, from politics to journalism. If there is but one thing that I have learned and that I have hoped to share with you guys it's that the Internet is a wonderous place. It brings disparate fields together and has made our lives convenient.

When asked what are the things humans need to survive, ask most people and they will say food, water and WiFi. The first two are obvious and have been needed for our survival since time immemorial. However, the last one is curious. Up until recently, we didn't understand this idea of WiFi but it has become so ingrained in our lives that we complain when we can't get a good connection. Without it, we can't access our emails or Facebook or read news online or message each other or......you get the idea. The Internet has made our lives convenient but also dependent on it.

In the beginning I said that we are slowly moving towards a new Internet, Web 3.0. And through these few months, we explored the many fields that the Internet has transformed or created. So what does the future look like for the Internet?

For the last time, let's look at an infographic on the future of the Internet.

Of course nothing is ever set in stone so these predictions can always be proven wrong. However, at the rate things are going, the future seems bright for the Internet.

I hope that you have enjoyed this blog as I journeyed through the Internet and I hope that you have had as much fun reading it as I did writing it. I also hope that you, the reader, has gone further beyond the information presented here and explored the Internet on your own. To the websites and places I got the information from for this blog, I thank you.

As I bid you adieu for the last time, have some cute cat videos on me. It's 60mins of cute cats.

Thank You!

Dangers of Internet Journalism

The Internet is a curious beast. On one hand, it is killing traditional spreadsheet news. On the other, it is giving them a lifeline by alllowing news makers to take advantatge of a new way to reach new audiences.

Let's look at the statistics on digital readership.

Most of our generation don't even order the usual spreadsheet newspapers anymore. Straits Times? What's that? The New Paper? Seriously, who still reads that tabloid?

But the problem with Internet Journalism is that there is alot of trash running wild on the Internet. With traditional news agencies, one could still control the content and verify it. Standards were kept and journalistic intergrity secured. With the rise of quick reads and snazzy headlines, those values that allowed journalists to be the gatekeepers of the Fourth Estate have quickly broke down.

Everyone with access to the Internet can become a citizen journalist. All you need is a blog or twitter or facebook account and people will read what you write. Maybe they wouldn't read everything but at the very least, they will read the snippets. And that's the problem.

Case in point, let's look at Singapore's very own citizen journalist website, STOMP.

In 2012, STOMP staff Samantha Francis posted a photo on STOMP claiming that she took a photo of the train door open while the train was in motion. After an investigation, it turned out that the photo was a) not taken by her, b) taken from social media and c) fake. She was, understandably, fired. You can read the story here.

In 2013, STOMP reposted fake news taken from a satire website called newnation.sg. The story can be found here.

Despite being owned by SPH, fake news still managed to get onto the website. If there was any semblence of journalistic processes, it was sorely lacking at STOMP. And that's the problem. It is neigh impossible to check every single piece of fact or information or picture or video submitted by the public. To do so would take up so much time that the news will never get published. 

Or how about the recent Lee Kuan Yew death hoax. A picture that was supposed to be a screengrab of the Prime Minister's office regarding the death of Lee Kuan Yew went viral. What was supposed to be a hoax was soon spread around WhatsApp and Facebook as real news. To their credit, the proper news agencies, CNA and Straits Times fact-checked and refrained from publishing the hoax but reputable news agencies did publish the hoax as real news.

In this age of 24-hr news cycles, news becames stale and old very quickly. The rush to attact eyeballs means that news agencies need the latest news. There is only so much and so many places old-school journalist can go and cover and so it looks like the trend to citizen journalism to contribute stories will continue. But we must be aware of the dangers.

I apologize for this very long and wordy post. So here's a video of cats.

Politics on the Internet

Eschewing the big, concert-like events, Former First Lady of the US, former Senator and former Secertary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton announced that she would be running for President of the United States in 2016. If she succeeds, she will possibly be the world's most powerful woman and person. And in a twist, she did it via a short, 2-min YouTube video. Let's have a look at it.

But why? Why would someone, anyone doing as important as announcing their intentions to run for position as the head of a superpower break with tradition and release a low-key video? Isn't the point of politics to be as loud as possible to get your name out?

Maybe not.

In 2008, a Senator from Illinois deftly used the Internet to win an election. His name is Barack Obama. You might recognise that name. He's the current President of the United States.

In this day and age, politicians of all stripes need to use the new medium of the Internet as deftly as they did TV and Radio. With smartphone penetration at such a high rate,a good majority of the electorate now possess a means or a way to connect to the Internet. This infographic will explain why.

True, more time is spent in front of the TV then on YouTube watching videos BUT don't forget. Most of the time spent on TV, we're not paying attention to it. Well, at least the younger ones are not ... and we are the future voters. So if politicians don't start paying attention to the Internet now, it's gonna be too late for them when they realise they need to. Mastering the Internet as a means of communication will be difficult, especially with all the distractions online. However, as with TV and Radio, practice makes perfect.

But this also assumes that we are politically engaged - which not all of us are. Politicians recognise this problem and are hence taking the steps to engage the electorate.

Let's take the current British Parlimentary Elections as an example. Compared to the previous election in 2010, parties are doing what they can in this one to up voter engagement amongst the young by capitalising on social media. The below shows the current penetration on social media.

Now I wonder...when it is Singapore's turn, how will our parties do?

Internet Tools - The Google Tools

When we think of tools, we think of something that would make our life easier. It's the same when we're surfing the net. We want tools that makes our life easier.

Let's now look at Google, one of the biggest Internet tool providers around.

Sure, we all know about Google. Heck, its even in our lexicon. When we want to tell someone to search for something on the Internet, we tell them to Google it. Google search might be what made Google famous but it is not the only tool that Google provides.

Lets look at some of the other tools that Google provide.

1) Google Scholar

I love this. As a student, it has made my life so much easier. It is the Google Search of acadamic text. Just type in what I need and BAM, research papers from just about every related discipline appears. Below is an infographic on how popular Scholar is.

2) Google Books

Who likes walking to the library? Why can't we just get the books we want when we want them? Oh wait! WE CAN.

Introducing Google Books. It turns my tablet into an e-book. You might think that there are limited choices but you'll be pleasently surpised. The range and diversity is staggering.

In my library, I have books that are as similar as chalk and cheese. I have Dante's Inferno and The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. I have Romeo and Juliet and A Little Bit of Everything for Dummies.

Truly the selection is vast.

3) Google Earth

Google Earth is like Google Maps but you know, for the Earth. But not only is it Maps for Earth, it also allows you to explore the stars and the cosmos. AND with so many Easter Eggs hidden in it, you can almost play this like a game.

If you do not have this yet, DOWNLOAD IT NOW. If you have no idea how to use it, then watch this handy video

And now lets look at some of the cool easter eggs.

And there's Google Mail, Google Maps, Google Alerts and this list doesn't even cover Google's other items like Blogger or YouTube. Truly, Google has become your one-stop shop for the Internet.

Multimedia on the Internet

The Internet is a curious place. There are many things to do, see, look, listen. Soon, we might even be able to touch and smell the things on the Internet.
The beauty of it all is that what was once in the past would now soon be possible in the future.
Feel like being in the middle of the battlefield? Done. Wanna be a couch surfer? Done.
There is only so much traditional video, text and pictures can do. And then there is Virtual Reality.

Despite the failure of early Head Mounted Displayes in the late 1990s, technology has advanced to the point where virtual reality is quite possible soon. Lets look at how VR can help in your job.

Virtual reality seems to be the future for not only gaming but also the Internet. The purchase of VR headset maker Oculus Rift by Facebook seems to be proof that the tech giants believe that will be the future. Not to mention extra sensory devices like the Kinect.

But wheres the fun if you can only see it. What happens if you want to feel as if you're walking in the game zone? Being able to duck, to run to hide and not run into your wall? Then check this Kickstarter project out.

Its called the Omni and it promises just that.

According to the information the makers of the Omni posted in Kickstarter, "We are in the midst of a revolution in virtual reality. The release of affordable head mounted displays and low-cost sensor technologies has brought the decades-old dream of true virtual reality closer than ever, but there’s still one more piece to the puzzle: the Omni.The Omni takes virtual reality to the next level— allowing anyone to stand up and traverse virtual worlds with the natural use of their own feet. The Omni is the first virtual reality interface for moving freely and naturally in your favorite game. Moving naturally in virtual reality creates an unprecedented sense of immersion that cannot be experienced sitting down. That's why we developed the Omni. "

The only downside I see to this is when I eventually get tired of standing and want to sit down as I play my games.

Or or or how about this haptic feedback vest. Another project on Kickstarter, this vest allows you to feel whatever your character is feeling. 

Shot to the chest? BAM. Shot in the back? BAM. Shot in the most unfortunate of areas? BAM BAM BAM.
The KOR-FX Gaming Vest: 4DFX Haptic Feedback System is a great compliment to the Omni and the Oculus Rift. Now most of your senses will be engaged.

From the Kickstarter page: 

Virtual Reality 

KOR-FX alone provides a unique and rewarding experience. However, when combined with head-mounted VR displays, motion-tracking systems or any of the other new, exciting VR technologies currently available or in development, the KOR-FX vest provides the tactile component of a completely immersive experience that was not possible until now. 

And because it plugs in to your standard audio port, you don't need fancy gadgets or technical skills to use it. 

BUT WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?

See, as we start slowly moving from WEB 2.0 to WEB 3.0, its about time that we started thinking about the different ways we experience the Internet and the media on it. Static pictures and normal videos are starting to get boring. Imagine the day when we can finally smell the advert we see on the screen or taking part in virtual fights and actually feeling the hits or being able to explore a new country by walking in a virtual map.

The possibilities are endless!

Internet Security

When it comes to Internet security, most of us don't think much about it. Once we have downloaded our Norton or McAfee, we think that we are immue to viruses, worms and torjan horses (not the one from Troy).

WRONG!

An antivirus is only as good as the coding built into it. Like our immue system, we can only prevent that which we know of. At the rate that new nasty stuff is being created, our antivirus becomes outdated very very quickly. I have an old laptop that runs on Windows 98. It never had an antivirus and so is full of it. Its like a cesspool of infection. When I started up the computer in 2005, within 5 minutes, the entire computer hung due to all the porn popups that kept appearing.

So how does a virus work?

But What's the Difference? We constantly throw the words virus, trojan and worm with such impunity that we use them interchangebly. Again, WRONG. They are not the same thing as the following video will explain.

So, how do we protect ourselves against such things?

Or if we just follow this few tips:

• Don't open email attachments unless you're expecting them. Many viruses are attached to email messages and will spread as soon as you open the email attachment. It's best not to open any attachment unless it's something you're expecting.
• Keep your computer updated. Microsoft releases security updates that can help protect your computer. Make sure that Windows receives these updates by turning on Windows automatic updating.
• Use a firewall.‌ Windows Firewall (or any other firewall) can help alert you to suspicious activity if a virus or worm attempts to connect to your computer. It can also block viruses, worms, and hackers from attempting to download potentially harmful programs to your computer.
• Use your browser's privacy settings. Being aware of how websites might use your private information is important to help prevent fraud and identity theft. If you're using Internet Explorer, you can adjust your Privacy settings or restore the default settings whenever you want. 
• Use a pop-up blocker with your browser. Pop-up windows are small browser windows that appear on top of the website you're viewing. Although most are created by advertisers, they can also contain malicious or unsafe code. A pop-up blocker can prevent some or all of these windows from appearing.

And there you go. Once you know what to do, Internet security is  very easy. Now go and

Video Blog

A long long long long long long time ago I did up a video while I was still in JC for my team's Project Work presentation. Before you view the video some background information is in order.
My team was working on a theoratical way to get more people to know and learn about the Kristang Cutlure and the video below is the introduction to our presentation. It was meant as a way to get the audience to start thinking about what would happen if we lost this culture and what it would mean for Singapore culture as a whole.

After a bit of tidying up, here's the fruit of my labour. Pardon the lack of video-editing skills, thats really not one of my strong points........

The music was from E.S Posthumous and I edited it down to fit the video. The music is titled Menoutis.

Disclaimer: I do not own the copyright to any of the images that appear in the video.

And here's one I did on the 2009 Financial Crisis

The montage is a mashup of ABBA's Money Money Money and and The Winner Takes It All.

Disclaimer: I do not own the copyright to any of the images that appear in the video.

And now, after suffering all through those videos, here's a picture of a cat.