Operating System failure

                Even though most of the time we only think of Computers consisting of a keyboard, a mouse, a monitor and tower, there are many numerous other aspects of a computer that can go wrong and be harmed. Some of these less thought of computer parts are what makes up the computers operating system. Whether it is just due to a part failing or a virus attacking the operating system, it becomes a real hassle when it occurs. This problems can sometimes be easily fixed by a computer professional, but in my personal experience, it can also put the computer beyond repair.

                Whenever I was younger, my family had a HP computer that we ended up using for probably about 5 years, but it wasn’t without a few issues with the operating system. I don’t remember what website or download that caused it, but after about 2 or 3 years the computer got a virus and it slowly ate away at the speed of the computer until it finally came up with an error code saying it was unusable. Before this happened, we had McAfee antivirus-software which we thought would prevent a virus, but obviously it didn’t. In order to fix the computer to get it back to being operational, we took it to a computer repair shop and had them erase the virus (along with all our files and photos). After we got it fixed, we purchased a different antivirus software from Norton, and we didn’t have any problems for a few years. Whenever the computer had operating system issues for the second time, it had nothing to do with a virus getting past an antivirus software. A couple of years later, the computer didn’t show any warning and just quit and wouldn’t even turn on. Once again we took it to the computer repair man and hoped for an easy fix just like the last time, but instead he said it wasn’t a virus and we would have to get a new computer.

                After encountering these issues, I’ve found that not just any antivirus software is capable of keeping a computer virus-free, and it takes some research and sometimes a little more money to make your computer less likely to get a virus. But even if your computer stays virus-free, it is still prone to just completely failing for no good reason at all and sometimes even the best computer repair shop can’t fix everything.

New Input Devices

                As increases in technology become more rampant and more frequent, the range of options for input and output devices for computers becomes much greater. Rather than just simply using a keyboard and a mouse for input and a printer for output, there are now much more complex devices such as voice recognition, touch screen tablets, and 3D printers. The most interesting new input device I have seen is the Tobii PCEye Go which allows the gaze of an eye to replace the function of using a mouse.

                This piece of technology works very similar to motion recognition software that is used in videogames such as a Wii or Xbox Kinect except it focuses on just the eyes. The PCEye Go allows the items on the screen to be moved and opened based on the gaze of your eyes as an input device, instead of having to use the mouse. The product is easy to be set up, as it only requires a connection to a USB port (like a mouse), and then it only needs to calibrated on the screen before use. This input device is not a product that the general public would probably find to be of much use, but it does have its intended audience. This eye gaze technology is extremely beneficial to people who suffer from spinal cord injuries and ALS (Lou Gehrig Disease) that don’t have the physical capabilities to operate a computer with the standard input devices. For example, Steve Gleason a former NFL player who suffers from Lou Gehrig Disease uses the built-in keyboard feature on his PCEye Go to tweet and do other daily operations on the computer and was recently featured in a Microsoft commercial during the Super Bowl highlighting technology. While it may not be practical for everyone I think it is a really cool idea that opens the door for many people to continue to communicate despite physical difficulties. This idea is something that I can see be put in to wider use in the future, as it can help people who suffer from strokes and that are paralyzed to use a computer for personal use or even for work.

                As technology continues to improve and become more sophisticated it is refreshing to see it be used for purposes that improve the quality of lives for people. The use of the Tobii PCEye Go is just one example of an input device that has made it capable for people with disabilities to be able to connect to and use the Web.

   Here are the sources I used:

http://www.tobii.com/en/assistive-technology/global/products/hardware/pceye/

http://mashable.com/2013/02/15/steve-gleason-tweets-with-eyes-als/

Internet Hoaxes

As technology has greatly improved throughout our generation, the internet has become a mega hub for information. With access to information so easy that just a key word ran through a search engine can result in thousands and even millions of hits. This way of getting information has become one of the most popular ways to gain information for a topic whether it be academic related or just for useless trivia. But unfortunately, reading something on the internet doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s accurate.

            While the vast majority of the internet is used for good reliable information, there are a small percentage of sites that just specialize in providing false content. Just recently as I scrolled through my newsfeed I noticed an article that said the Super Bowl was rigged and the Broncos got paid to lose. Personally, as soon I saw it I was like that’s got to be fake, but it soon became apparent that more and more people actually believed it and was sharing them to their walls. This websites are to look official just like any other accurate media outlet so I can see how someone could just automatically think that it’s a real news story. In that specific article, it had a quote from the Commissioner of the NFL and false facts which made it seem even more like a real credible news story. After I read that article I decided to go to the website’s homepage to see what the deal was and what kind of website it was. On its homepage it stated that huzlers.com is a combination of real shocking news and satire news to keep its visitors in a state of disbelief. While to some, this could be looked at as a website to just get a good laugh from, others could view it as 100% factual.

            Websites such as Huzlers.com are the reason why a site’s credibility has to be put in question before it can be used in an academic manner. It’s really sad that a few bad eggs have to spoil the whole bunch, as there are numerous factual websites out there that have good information but are times not allowed because of the internet’s bad reputation. If the internet didn’t have a credibility issue, it would be much easier for the public to be fully informed about what is going on throughout the world and the country without wondering if what they’re reading is really true.

http://huzlers.com/
http://huzlers.com/superbowl-xlviii-believed-to-have-been-rigged-and-currently-under-investigation-by-nfl/