...Robots...

Learning about Robots was truly the most interesting subject that we have covered thus far, this year. Who would have ever thought a decade or so ago that they would come out with a mini robot that you could program to vacuum your floors for you while you are not home? I am simply in awe and jealous of the fact that Dr. Tuggle owns a Roomba, which is the aforementioned room vacuuming mini robot. One of the most mundane and irritating household tasks for me is dragging a heavy, clunking machine around the house to pick up little odds and ends, dust and dirt, and the ever present clumps of cat hair. So if I can manage to save up a little over $400, a little robot will go around each room that I put a receiver in, saving me time and annoyance. thus poses the only problem: as cool as new technological advances are, you must have and be willing to invest the money.

Money in exchange for convenience is the driving force behind our society today. That's why there are so many fast food restaurants, coffee shops, and electronic gadgets, as well as a website for just about anything. Why go out in the cold, to get in your car to go Christmas shopping, when you can sit in your own home and order every last gift online? Not that I am complaining, because I typically do all of my own personal shopping online, on the other hand, for other people I usually manage to put a little bit of time and effort into gift giving.

...Data Mining...

One of the most interesting concepts out of Chapter 9 is the section on Data Mining. I find it truly fascinating that companies can do a bit of research in trends and purchases, and come up with idea such as convenience stores putting diapers next to beer. Imagine the horror that was your neighborhood 7 Eleven before the studies and data mining? Having to walk from one end of the store all of the way to the other to grab one item than another??

If anything is proven out of studies and research is that people seem to be getting lazier and lazier. Was there studies to show that people would forgo one item or another if they could not find them or had to walk further? I believe that if people truly want something, they will work hard to get it. What actually seems more remarkable to me is that in more recent years Vons stores have been putting their snack aisles directly in back of the alcohol aisles. So that when you go to pick up some Absolut or Jack, you also can see the peanuts, popcorn, chips and candy, and will be inclined to pick up a few of said items for later. Almost more of a marketing ploy, than an actual convenience.

...eBay...

So, I realize that I am quite a few days behind in my blogging, 2 days behind to be exact, so I will use this little study break to play a little catch up. Last Thursday in class, we went over eCommerce. This chapter seemed significantly easier to get through than the other 2, and we did a few fun little activities such as comparing US eBay against Hong Kong eBay and how to visit websites using their IP addresses. I find it quite interesting that planning ahead for the popularity of the internet did not seem to be a factor in the creating period. I find it sort of amusing that because IPv4 seem to be running out, that these already existing addresses need to be converted over to IPv6 addresses.

The second topic that piqued my interest in this section was the introduction of "network sniffers". I knew that evil people were capable of stealing other's credit card numbers online, but I really had no clue how they went about it. Makes it seem all that much more important to know which websites can be trusted and are secure, and which websites should not be trusted as far as you can throw them, look for https(security) and a little gold lock in the bottom corner. This was a practical application that everyone should know before offering their information willingly to strangers. Luckily for me, even with all of the ordering I have done off of websites, some big name ones such as Best Buy and Walmart, I have also ordered off smaller less well-known ones, and I will definitely need to be more careful from now on, because identity theft or stolen credit card numbers does not make for a fun time apparently, or so I've heard.