While technology continues to advance and evolve, media is taking the same steps. Media and communications have far surpassed being a useful technology but a necessary element for society.

To focus on the evolution and future of media more closely, one can take a look at the mobile phone and it’s incredible adaption and utilization in the past two decades. I would first like to direct you to the video ‘The future of Mobile Media and Communication 2020’ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5ucS948qeE. It provides an entertaining timeline into mobile media, touching on the past present and making various forecasts about the future. One interesting prediction exclaimed was the eradication of paper delivery by the NY Times in 2016, instead distributing plastic eReaders for only $1 USD.

Although these are simply conjectures into the future of mobile media, it is not implausible to argue the validity of such claims. After already surpassing far more than we anticipated about media in the past it is not unreasonable to argue that the world is headed to a place with incredible media innovations and advancements.

Society is entering an era where reality and the virtual environment relevant to media are intertwining and blending together. Subsequently, mobile experience is being enriched by this mixed reality. Millions of users around the world are engaging not only in media but mobile media, changing the way we think about news, entertainment and advertising.

Who really knows what the future of media really holds or what it means for society. We can’t entirely predict the future, but we are able to learn about the patterns from which the future will emerge. 
While we can’t control the future, we can certainly influence it.

One thing we are able to predict is that media technology will continue to develop and evolve, giving the world more convenience, greater accessibility, incredible innovations and an even newer media era more exceptional than the last. 

Blog Post Wk 10:

- Open Science - WOW

New media has undeniably led to certain advancements and creations in technology and science, keeping up with the demand of media and its necessary evolution.

Society is being cast into a world where we rarely rely on the medium of print to educate us or develop further, but a world “where the network flows with data, ontologies, and machine-readable knowledge” (Wilbanks, 2011). As Pisani (2011) points out, with this evolving culture tearing away from data-hoarding and privately gathered research, we are witnessing a sphere of data sharing like never before.

In relation to science, which has historically been tied to print, “which is itself an artifact of a technical revolution hundreds of years old” (Wilbanks, 2011), is now conforming to the power of the media. Scientists are able to publish work anytime, anywhere, allowing others to build on their work, drastically increasing the pace of discoveries, diagnostics and cures (Pisani, 2011).

It is undeniable that this level of shared data, overflowing with scattered information that is bonded by a “common infrastructure framework” (Wilbanks, 2011), will ultimately mean greater and faster progress.

In fact, the involvement of media platforms and the subsequent evolution of new technology such as the Smartphone has already proven it’s usefulness to the science world. Late last year, researchers in Switzerland were able to use the Smartphone to invent an enormously beneficial aid to the medical sector. By harnessing the power of the Smartphone and its exceptional technology, these researchers may have “revolutionized treatments for heart patients” (Knight, 2011). Essentially, the smartphone allows patients to monitor their heart rate, immediately detecting any anomalies and notifying the doctor instantly if there is any problems. I would highly recommend reading the entire article at http://edition.cnn.com/2011/10/24/tech/mobile/heart-monitor-smartphone-app/index.html, for a greater insight into the invention.

We have not only entered an era whereby data sharing has been been dramatically simplified, resulting in quicker progress in findings (potentially meaning greater success in diagnosis and cures), but has also revolutionized mobile technology to quite literally save lives.

The internet is not only “poised to transform science publishing and science itself” (Wilbanks, 2011), but has the ability to recreate technologies, present new ideas and create an online source of information more powerful than any seen before.

- This notion of data sharing, the revolution of technology and media, and the plethora of online content available certainly relates to my chosen research topic of location services and trackable devices. This content too is shared on the web for others to view, build on, join or simply store for personal matter. The difference however is the negative outcomes of this technology and its adaption to everyday media platforms such as Smartphones.

Knight, M 2011, ‘Heart Monitor Smartphone App’, Accessed: 10^th May 2012, Available: http://edition.cnn.com/2011/10/24/tech/mobile/heart-monitor-smartphone-app/index.html

Pisani, E 2011, ‘Medical Science will benefit from the research of crowds’, Accessed 10^th May 2012, Available: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/jan/11/medical-research-data-sharing

Wilbanks, J 2011, ‘On Science Publishing’, Accessed 10^th May 2012, Available: http://seedmagazine.com/content/article/on_science_publishing

Week 9. Key Word: Collaboration 

To begin with, it was vastly interesting to watch the video Coalition of the Willing, and I would direct anyone to take time out to watch it. http://coalitionofthewilling.org.uk/ . This cleverly communicated message target’s members of today’s heavily networked society. As Cain (2012) put it, “Lone geniuses are out. Collaboration is in”. Although she presents a contrary angle to this statement further on, I still believe, collaboration is the way of the future, where we are able to “kickstart our own revolution, harnessing the energy of the human swarm and focusing it on the problem of our time” (Rayner, 2010).

Continuing on from the topic last week, it is undeniable that the due to the Internet, the world is interconnected and networked like we have never seen before. We as individuals are able to come to together to form our own group in society, growing, engaging and creating with each other. As the Coalition of The Willing highlights, this cultural shift could quite feasibly change the world. Linking with likeminded people all campaigning for the same change they want to see in the world, with the ability of providing their own knowledge on the issue.

We have unquestionably entered a new collaborative era where social media and the internet as a whole enables us to organize locally, make our voice audible in global issues and ultimately form new communities. By liking a certain group or page on Facebook, for example, we can be linked to a vast number of people all with a synonymous association. Social media such as this promotes interaction and engagement between each other, potentially over time forming a micro society.

This notion can also be understood as Micropolitics, which basically defines the power, both formal and informal, by groups of people that have come together to achieve a desired goal or affect. “In large part political action results from perceived differences between individuals and groups, coupled with the motivation to use power to influence and/or protect” (Blase, 1991).

It is clear that micropolitics can be established very rapidly and effectively in today’s society. With the resources at our fingertips, individuals are able to come together in a click of a mouse, linking their passions, ambitions and influences to change the world one issue at a time. As Rayner discusses extensively in regards to global warming, “imagine what we can achieve with an open source approach to global issues such as the war… Get ready to change the world… Let’s use the internet to kick start our own revolution” (Rayener, 2010).

- There is certainly a correlation between the notion of micropolitics, the power of linking individuals via by new media and my research proposal of location services and tracking individuals through social media. These groups and engagements are immediately formed when users are linked to the same location, (whether knowingly or inadvertently is unfortunately irrelevant…). The question however, is whether or not this type of micropolitics, joined by similarities in location, is one that should be endorsed.

Anon, 2009, Disorientation and micropolitics, accessed 3/5/12, available: http://www.spacesofexperimentation.net/montreal/disorientation-and-micropolitics-a-response/

Blase, J 1991, ‘Everyday political perspectives of teachers toward students: The dynamics of diplomacy’, The politics of life in schools: Power, conflict, and cooperation (pp. 185-206). Newbury Park, CA: Sage.

Cain, S 2012, ‘The Rise of the New Groupthink’, The New York Times, Accessed 3/5/12, Available: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/15/opinion/sunday/the-rise-of-the-new-groupthink.html

Rayner, T 2010, ‘Coalition of The Willing’, Video, Accessed 3/5/12, Available: http://coalitionofthewilling.org.uk/

It is undeniable that social media and the Internet have changed modern day society. Providing a platform where individuals are able to spread any type of information they wish. This may be a new political language as evident in Egypt, or simply a method for spreading the truth far and wide. Very quickly members of high places in society took to the wonders of social media and the seemingly boundary less realm of the Internet. Political parties and Government run organisations exploited social media for their recent elections, Tony Abott updating twitter as frequently as Ashton Kutcher and President Obama using the internet as a driving force to win the election.

As it is clear when reading Hirschkind’s article on “The role of social media in the Egyptian uprising”, blogs and other forms of internet driven medias were able to teardown the whole political barrier that existed in Egypt. Not only did social media bring thousands of people together to form a power that not even the entire political force in Egypt could withstand, it sent a message to the world. This message was heard loud and clear, no longer is the world kept in the dark, no longer is there an immense suppression of news and truths. As Paul Mason (2011) said “everything you need to know to make sense of the world is available as freely downloadable content on the internet: and it’s not pre-digested for you”.

This evolution in society has created a population that is steadily becoming more and more dependent on social media and opinions made by individuals not organisations. Additionally, it has forever changed democracy. Now, citizens are able to engage like never before, with a dialogue emerging between politician and voter via social media. It is worthwhile watching this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1vrczoLm7Es&feature=related which outlines why new media provides such beneficial tools for politicians, world leaders and the government as a whole.  

On account of this massive explosion occurring in this new media, massive institutions such as the Government, Education systems and large organisations of any form are having to adapt, and fast. School’s now not only provide subjects for computing but supply iPad’s and computers in most classrooms and encourage all students to bring laptops to school. As discussed above, influential political figures such as Tony Abbott and Barak Obama, heavily relied on social media to promote themselves and win their respective election. This video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFB5FtMfwNo&feature=related explores Obama’s use of digital and social media in his winning campaign, naming it one of the most effective marketing campaign’s in history on account of Obama’s integration of the internet.

It is unquestionable that with the immense power the internet, new media hold, large institutions need to jump on the bandwagon and create their own footprint. We as an audience and participator, can already see through examples such as the Egyptian Uprising, that new media is a force to be reckoned with. 

Hirschkind, C 2011, ‘From the Blogosphere to the Street: The Role of Social Media in the Egyptian Uprising’, Accessed 28/4/12, Available: http://www.jadaliyya.com/pages/index/599/from-the-blogosphere-to-the-street_the-role-of-social-media-in-the-egyptian-uprising

Mason, P 2011, ‘Twenty Reasons why its kicking off everywhere’, Accessed 28/4/12, Available: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/newsnight/paulmason/2011/02/twenty_reasons_why_its_kicking.html 

The notion that Lowery, proposes arouses various questions surrounding control, power and the necessity of huge media organisations. It is worthwhile reading part of his speech made at the SF MusicTech Summit, identifying that the music industry is worse off than ever before (See article http://www.digitalmusicnews.com/permalink/2012/120214cracker

). Massive Media organisations such as Apple and Amazon possess immense power that can control the music industry, journalism and what goes on in our media. Music ownership and media ownership are synonymous with each other, with influential and massive powers at play.

Although media has evolved and the music industry has changed, there is one common theme that has remained constant throughout recent history - huge media conglomerates are in control.

As Casey (2012) highlights, even in the day’s of record stores, “media conglomerates controlled distribution channels and consumption channels through radio, TV, and later on portable devices… It was unthinkable to go against these conglomerates in this state of the music industry”. Despite new opportunities being created and elements of the industry changing, the same control exists in today’s society on various different platforms. The reality is, the control has simply changed hands. Instead of record companies possessing control, the torch has been passed to three of the most notable technological companies, Amazon, Itunes and Google.

The benefit of these vast organisations is their reach and ability to spread hidden talents and unheard stories. Whether we are referring to music or journalism, it is unquestionable that these platforms are able to uncover content the world may never have been subject to. Stars such as Justin Beiber are prime examples of this, who where discovered online and quickly became among the most famous in the industry.

I believe the power and control implemented by these major players ensures that industries such as music and journalism are always kept alive and continuously growing. It goes without saying that it is frightening to accept the control these organisations have over our media, whether it be our news, our music or entertainment. But the realization is that they have always been present. Lowery makes a valid point that conglomerates such as Itunes and Amazon have taken over the music industry, made unfair commands and subsequently altered the industry. But has this change resulted in a much wider platform of talents, presenting the public with vaster choice? Or can we just assume that it is another method of control, choosing who this new talent should be or what blogs and stories should appear highest on google searches?

In relation to my chosen research topic, the notion of control and power by media and other organisations directly relate to the implementation of location services. As well as the relevance to social and media theories associated with the concept of being tracked.

Casey, T 2012, ‘The New Music Industry is Not Coming, Available: http://www.musicthinktank.com/blog/the-new-music-industry-is-not-coming.html 

Lowery, D 2012, via: ‘I’m a successful artist and here’s why things have never been worse’, Available: http://www.digitalmusicnews.com/permalink/2012/120214cracker

Blog 3, Week 5, Arts3091 - Reality: Actual, Potential and Virtual

The concept of this continuously evolving virtual reality immediately made me think of the movie, Gamer. A movie depicting the future of a virtual world and simulated environment whereby people can essentially be whoever they want to be. More specifically, set in the future, a scientist was able to revolutionize the gaming industry, self-replicating ‘nanites’ that essentially substitute existing brain cells and enable a third party to have complete control of all motor functions. This technology allowed gamers to control a real person in an artificial community, such as The Sims or other current simulated gaming worlds (Wikipedia, 2012).

When the movie was initially released in 2009 it seemed like such a foreign idea to most viewers, however with the latest developments in the technology, such as those made by Miguel Nicolelis, it may be feasible. Nicolelis, contributed to the first ever “demonstration of a brain-machine-brain interface that establishes a direct, bidirectional link between a brain and a virtual body” (Nicolelis, 2012). With these vast developments in mind, it is becoming a realization amongst society that the formation of a virtual world is a very real possibility in the future.

 Issues this notion raises, reiterate concepts discussed in the topic of memory and mnemotechnics, will this virtual environment further endorse a predominantly lazy society whereby technology is once more used as a substitute for our basic actions? I guide you to a clip from Gamer that reinforces this notion of a potentially reliant society. Abandoning typical everyday happenings and relying solely on this virtual environment to live out the life they may not have attained in reality. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZL2vu6kXzQ (watch up to first minute).

The simulated environment may be a similar representation of the real world, fundamentally creating a lifelike experience, for example, in simulations for surgeons attempting new procedures or even a virtual golf course where users can play indoors. Or they can differ considerably from reality, as evident in Gamer.

Another issue worth discussing is touched upon by Hennigan (2012) in the LA Times, raising the notion of accountability. Who is held responsible for actions carried out in a simulated environment? Are acts of crime still punishable by law if individuals aren’t really being affected or hurt? Or does the concept of a virtual world extend further, breaching the parameters of a simulated environment and merge into the real world, where people must be held accountable for their actions? Eventually will the question be raised: How do we know what is real?

The idea of a virtual world is immensely interesting and is undeniably being supported by the media, who seemingly endorse movies about the topic as well as providing a stream of articles publishing constant advancements. It is a notion that I believe will be much more closely explored in the future as developments live up to our once unrealistic expectations, feasibly resulting in the eventual abandonment of our typical thoughts and movements.

Reference List:

Anon, 2012, Gamer, accessed 29/3/12, Available: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gamer_(film)

Hennigan, 2012, New drone has no pilot anywhere, so who’s accountable?, Accessed 29/3/12, available: http://articles.latimes.com/2012/jan/26/business/la-fi-auto-drone-20120126

Anon, 2011, Monkeys ‘Move and Feel’ Virtual Objects Using Only Their Brains, accessed 29/3/12, available: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111005131648.html

The notion that the use and functionality of our brain is no longer restricted to the contents of our skull is both fascinating and a very plausible argument. In today’s modern society there is a vast amount of existing and evolving technologies that have allowed us to lead at times a very convenient, under exerted lifestyle. We have embodied technology to act like an additional brain. Subsequently there is no longer the necessity to rely solely on your intellect or your mind in general but source items in the external environment to assist you.

The mind is no longer restricted or contained to be only within the confinements of our skull but we are seeing a trend amongst society to turn towards modern day technology to complete or assist tasks for us. Some may read this and believe this statement is inaccurate, but it’s the little things people fail to recognize that are essentially extensions of our mind. For a great example watch this clip http://gizmodo.com/196551/lexus-self-parking-car-video-and-review.  (Lam, 2006).

No longer is there a necessity to consume thought in parking your car in a difficult space, identifying the correct angles, appropriate speed and logistics of the park. Now, we have been given an incredible technology that reverse parks the car for us, essentially taking our mind out of the equation and allowing the mind of the car to hold power in the situation.

This raises the question, however, of whether or not we are slowly losing our ability to complete or even attempt simple tasks requiring little brain power on account of a more convenient, technologically driven alternative that requires little to no brain exertion. Another example may be the use of a calculator on our mobile devices, relying on the extension of our mind for simple math in everyday life or a piece of paper to serve as a memory device (Stiegler, n.d).

On the contrary, is it possible that these evolving technologies are developing a more resourceful, educated society, that are able to utilize these extensions of one’s mind effectively to create a more efficient and beneficial outcome? In many ways I believe this to be true. Although in other ways, it is a very reasonable argument to suggest that we are turning to this ‘extension of mind’ far more often than we need to, potentially manufacturing a society that bases decisions on convenience alone.

This concept would make for a very interesting topic for our second assignment. Posing the question, in what ways has media led to the notion of the extended mind and does the media directly/indirectly endorse a more convenient way of life?

Lam, 2006, Lexus Self Parking Car Video and Review, accessed 22/3/12, available: http://gizmodo.com/196551/lexus-self-parking-car-video-and-review

Stiegler, B (n.d.) ‘Anamnesis and Hypomnesis: Plato as the first thinker of the proletarianisation’, Available: http://arsindustrialis.org/anamnesis-and-hypomnesis

One of the most enjoyable explorations of Media Ecology I discovered was by theorist, Neil Postman, who was able to identify and highlight the integral points of the concept in a clear, comprehensible way.

It is an immensely interesting and engaging notion to me, looking into how media communication in society has the power to “affect human perception, understanding, feeling, and value” (Postman, 1980). By studying the impact and affect media has on society, our structure and the content we explore, conclusions can be drawn as to how we as individuals are influenced by the media, the parts we are guided to play, the perceptions we are predisposed to have and accept and why the media has the power and incentive to “make us feel and act the way we do” (Postman, 1980).

I would highly recommend reading more of Postman’s idea of Media Ecology, providing clarity on the notion. Personally, it gave me a much broader understanding of the concept and certainly made me think more deeply about the true power and control the media is able to exert. The video attached outlines Postman’s perspective and approach on the topic of media ecologies and is a very interesting introduction to the topic. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4KIRjvvAegw

Many argue in today’s society “media consumers are guinea pigs in a global experiment that nobody’s in charge of” (Nystrom, 2011).  Attempting to substantiate their claim that media is simply another means of control. Operating entirely on the basis that we as a society can be exploited, guided and overrun by massive media corporations, who have control over the content we watch, read, hear and subsequently talk about. While I agree that this concept is certainly feasible and in many aspects true, I believe it to be of upmost necessity if we want to succeed and survive in this world.

Without media facilitation would we be thrown into a world of chaos and confusion, adhering only to the dominating political parties, eventually forfeiting our rights in a democratic society? I know some would argue that this is exactly what is happening in our current media run society but I disagree that we as media consumers can be recognized as ‘guinea pigs’, conforming entirely to the dictation of the media.

I think the prominent question that needs to be asked is whether or not “our interaction with media facilitates or impedes our chances of survival” (Postman, 1980).

Anon, 2009, ‘Media Ecology’, Available: http://www.media-ecology.org/media_ecology/ accessed 15/3/12

Neil Postman, 1980, “The Reformed English Curriculum.” High School: The Shape of the Future in American Secondary Education, A.C. Eurich

Nystrom, 2011, ‘Media Ecology’, Available:http://www.medialiteracy.com/media_ecology.html, accessed 15/3/12