Monday, December 16, 2019

Where Technology is Going

Few things in the world aren't connected to technology. Technology is an ever-evolving, ever-changing force, getting upgraded and upscaled every chance it gets. Everything around you now could be obsolete in just a few years. Some of these upgrades can be expected, and some may be unexpected. The importance, however, is not if it is expected or not, but where it will go.

An important piece of tech over the last decade have been smartphones. Ever since the release of the  First IPhone way back in 2007, smartphones have been a mainstay in tech culture, and all culture for that matter. The latest coming evolution for smartphones is 5G. 5G networks are being developed to give their smartphone users speeds 10 times faster than on their current 4G network. Most smartphone providers advertise the newer, faster 5G network. In reality, 5G networks will not be ready until the middle of the next decade. According to Mohanbir Sawhney of CNN Business, 5G networks won't be able to provide 10 times as fast speeds as promised until around 2025. The 5G networks on now are basically still developing. It's basically a waiting game for 5G to develop, or a "Hype fest" as said by Mohanbir Sawhney. It's hard to see if the wait will be worth it, but it seems the wait will be worth it.

There is much more to the future of technology than just 5G. Technology is evolving all around us right now. So what better way to talk about the future than to talk about the present. After reading an article by The National, it made me realize that so much technological advancement took place throughout this year. A.I evolved greatly this year, and Apple released AirPods, which became the most popular headphones on the market. Those two things only scratch the surface on A.I.'s evolution this year. Social Media policies changed also, making the platforms more private after it was revealed that the platforms were selling private information, as well as removing any ties to political manipulation of users.

The main point of the article is technology is not a friend, or a foe, it is in fact both. As technology keeps growing it gets smarter, but will it try to help us or manipulate us? Social media is trying to keep us safe, but will it work? The article asks many questions, though not directly. The government is also brought up many times, from President Donald Trump's tweets, to China's regulation of sharing platform TikTok. The article talks about many things, but the main point is that there is good and bad when it comes to technology, and this will continue into the future as tech becomes more evolved.

Some say the future is uncertain, and some say it's certain. Some say the future will be bad, and some say it won't. All I know is, we've got a lot to look forward to in the future. Maybe not as much in the near future, but in five years it will be interesting to see where the human race will be technologically. Maybe 5G will be fully developed, and maybe robots will kill us all in years of war. Whatever happens in the future will be big, no matter if it's good or bad, and it is definitely something to look forward to.

Marsden, Rhodri. "Future friend or foe: how our relationship with technology
     evolved in 2019." The National, 16 Dec. 2019, www.thenational.ae/
     arts-culture/comment/
     future-friend-or-foe-how-our-relationship-with-technology-evolved-in-2019-1.95206
     1. Accessed 16 Dec. 2019.


Sawhney, Mohanbir. "Don't hold your breath for 5G. Most of us won't be using it
     until 2025." CNN, 10 Dec. 2019, www.cnn.com/2019/12/10/perspectives/
     5g-technology-t-mobile-att-verizon/index.html. Accessed 12 Dec. 2019.

Tuesday, December 10, 2019

Technology: Here and Afar

Technology is big in most places. It is ever-evolving in most places. But issues with technology are different mattering what city, state, or country you live in. Issues can be as big as changing the way of life of an entire country, or as small as changing a portion of a town. No matter how big or small an issue with technology is, it's importance is not lessened in the slightest.

Drone, Flying, Floating, Camera
(Pixabay)
I was born in New Hampshire. I have always resided in New Hampshire. So whatever technological advancement happens in New Hampshire, it is important to me. Recently, the town of Portsmouth added drones to it's police force. According to Govtech, the drones will be used to identify people from 200 feet above. They will also be used to create a vertical view of a crime scene.

This is an important technological advancement, especially in the world of law enforcement, because of the higher viewpoint a drone has. You can move the drone 200 feet in the air and see an entire crime scene, instead of having to look at the crime scene fragmented at ground level. As this tech keeps advancing it will be interesting to see all the perspectives that can be given to a crime scene or building in question.

As well as being a New Hampshire resident, I am also a U.S. citizen. The U.S. works with other countries. They also have some countries that they should work with. According to Fu Ying of the South China Morning Post, America and China should work together to help make A.I. better for our future. After all, the U.S. and China are the two world leaders when it comes to A.I.. This will most likely not happen, at least not in the near future, due to tension between the U.S. and China.

I agree with Fu Ying's opinion about this topic. If the leaders of A.I. worked together in the future, then how could A.I. go wrong in the future. It is unfortunate that the U.S. have tension on more political matters, but that shouldn't affect technological matters. A.I. has issues, and they will be worked out in the future, but they will be worked out much faster if both China and the U.S. were able to work together to create foolproof A.I..

Works Cited

Dinan, Elizabeth. "New Hampshire Town Launches New Police Drone Squad."
     Govtech, 25 Nov. 2019, www.govtech.com/public-safety/
     New-Hampshire-Town-Launches-New-Police-Drone-Squad.html. Accessed 10 Dec.
     2019.

"Drone Flying Floating Camera." Pixabay, pixabay.com/photos/
     drone-flying-floating-camera-1245980/. Accessed 10 Dec. 2019.

Ying, Fu. "Why the US should join China in future-proofing AI technology."
     South China Morning Post, 5 Dec. 2019, www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/
     article/3038888/
     west-has-more-gain-allowing-chinese-tech-its-markets-seeking-block.
     Accessed 10 Dec. 2019.