Red Queens and Increasing Returns

The author is an outlier. In obtaining a copy of a P. K Dick movie, the local library was the logical avenue for the source of such a movie. The author never considered going to a vendor. Why should the author pay? And for that matter, most of the movies are on cable which the author already pays a hefty price for! Well enough already. This week the discussion is VOD versus DVD and this really is not a “Red Queen” issue as the author understands “Red Queens”. If VOD and DVD’s did not come to fruition at the same time this is not an argument for the “Red Queen”. We can only argue two competing technologies in a market and we now argue “Increasing Returns” and are these competing technologies. DVD is a hard copy and VOD is a soft copy hardly the same thing. While it is possible to argue they are both data this is semantic arguing. You cannot hold the soft copy you download it to your device and in most cases you do not own it your rent the material. The hard or DVD copy you own the copy but not the rights. There really is a difference. The author votes for a gray or grey area here. In consideration of McLuhan’s Tetrad model these formats are in several areas; for this argument the fourth area will be the concentration. We have seen a glimpse of the resurgence of 3-D technology and moving forward from this technology we will see 3-D technology without glasses and movies with holographic technology coming in the near future


Reference

Thornburg, D. D. (2008b). Emerging technologies and McLuhan's Laws of Media. Lake Barrington, IL: Thornburg Center for Space Exploration.

Disruptive Technology

The focus this week is on “Disruptive Technologies” as put forth by either Thornburg or Christensen.

Dr. Thornburg stated a “Disruptive technology is new, has the same functionality as the existing technology but functions more efficiently” (2009).  Christensen stated “Disruptive technology was worse and not better” (2002).  Christensen elaborates further to include the fact a technology is not better may indeed create a niche.  Second Life has created just such a niche.  The author does not believe Second Life has indeed created obsolescence as proffered by the Thornburg definition, but in fact has created a well defined area where people from all walks and interests of life can congregate and create their own virtual world.

Second Life is a virtual world, a simulation where anything is possible.   Rosedale stated “Why do we dream about space?  If we went into space we would be able to begin again. …..anything is possible”.  This is why Second Life is so popular; there are no rules of matter or science which humanity must conform.  Second Life can be a powerful tool where science and life can interact and the impossible become possible.   

In education Second Life makes everything possible.  In September of 2011 Second Life was utilized to evaluate a surgical practicum for the University of Sidney.  Using 3-D Simulation Students were evaluated on their expertise in a simulated environment.  This is truly exciting.

Teachers use Second Life in and out of the classroom.  Teacher 2.0 is an environment where teachers meet and talk, take classes and try to better themselves at the craft they live and breathe.  Questions of the day are posted, along with postulates concerning “What did you do for teaching last year, what you did to become a better teacher last year, along with other questions of merit.  Second Life even has its own classroom http://secondclassroom.ning.com/   you will find different areas on teaching, classes, chats, and how to get a classroom started should you need one.

If you were to ask what has Second Life replaced from a technology perspective, maybe nothing, from a life perspective maybe everything.  There is no tension, no misbehavior, and the students want to learn.

References

Second Classroom. Downloaded January 18, 2012 http://secondclassroom.ning.com/

Teacher 2.0   http://teacher20.com/

Spooner, A.N. Nicholas, A. Creagan, C.P. Patrick, C. and Khandra, M. Second life for

            medical education.  September 2011. Elearn magazine.

            http://elearnmag.acm.org/archive.cfm?aid=2035934

Rhymes of Tyme

Photosynth
Photosynth is a Reg. Trademark of Microsoft corp. and a program which allows the user to create a 3-D scape of almost anything.  So who cares, what is the big deal?  If you use it you will see it really is pretty cool.  The attraction is in the "Rhyme" Thornburg (2009).  This technology takes us back to in time to a place by utlizing what we have now (technology). Microshot utilizes 3-D technology to allow us to share our experiences around the globe with anyone we wish.  The experience is almost live, it really is like being there, with a description you supply and stored at Bing (of course) at a cloud point.  20 gigs of space and free to a point. The only drawback is there is no sound, yet. This technology allows us to share places we have visited or events, persons, places and things with the entire planet.  Anyone anywhere can share where we have been what we have seen in a clear concise manner in 3-D.  Check it out, and enjoy this innovation at http://www.http//photosynth.net/

Tetrad Module-2

IPod or MP-3 /4 Player


Enhances

Information and music digitization

Obsoletes

Walkman/tape player

Retrieves/Rekindles

Music interest, audio information

Reverses

Cloud player technology



The IPod was originally developed by the military for information storage. This device trickled down into the public as a device to play music wave files or MP-3 files. Before this device existed the industrialize countries had the walkman. Since the early eighties the Sony Walkman dominated the music industry. The IPod or MP-3 player rekindled the music and education industry through portability. The ability to listen to lectures and music anywhere is the advantage of this device. The demise of this device is the limited capacity, along with its size. With the advances of the Cloud the MP-3 player will become the go the way of the Walkman. Size, storage, and technology will make this device antiquated in the next few years.