#12 – Predictions about the Internet in the future?

Over the last 3 and half months, most of the blog posts that I shared revolved around the theme of Internet. The main thing that I observed is how pervasive the use of Internet has become into our daily lives, so much so that it has revolutionized the way we do things, gain information, learn and more. The impact brought about by the Internet would only expand for the better in years to come. What do you thing the internet would be like in the year 2020? Personally for me, I believe augmented reality will revolutionize the tourism industry.

We have heard of augmented reality and how great things will become. In case you have no idea what augmented reality is, explanation below might help.

However, this technology has not yet taken off as compared to technology such as tablet computer (think iPad). A few companies are still testing out the use of augmented reality in daily life and figuring ways this technology would revolutionize our lives totally such as how mobile phone and laptops have done. One example of the latest project is by Google – Project Glass.

So when or what will cause augmented reality to take off? The answer could lie in tourism. With the invention of smart phones, numerous apps have been released that promotes the use of augmented reality as part of tourism.

Aside from convenience when navigating in a foreign land, one can enjoy a unique form of vacation. With augmented reality, you can travel through time and experience a digital recreation of place and time in history. Augmented reality can enhance one’s experience through looking at real-time location with superimposed images of the past. The video below is a great example of how one can travel through time specifically how Museum of London used augmented reality for their new Modern Galleries.

While Augmented Reality in tourism is a not a fairly new concept, the idea has yet to take off. With the proliferation use of mobile phones today, it is only logical for augmented reality apps to be present in the app store or marketplace. Below is a list of best augmented reality apps that one could consider when on vacation.

While apps could/have revolutionize the way we travel in the near future, how about a GPS tour that transports you to another time? One that makes you truly experience being transported back instead of only looking at it through your phone.

The idea of augmented reality being the universal guide might change the way we travel in the future. While currently the idea has been introduced to the public, it has not been as widely used as one would expect; many still rely on books for research, bringing around a phrase book etc. In the future, we may no longer need tour guides, do heavy research, rely on travel books, learn a new language and many more as a preparation for our vacation. With Internet, a smartphone for now or maybe a new gadget in the future might be all that we need to start touring the world. Maybe a device being created that combines all the features of the apps we see today, that becomes the ultimate tour buddy?

So what predictions do you have for the Internet in the near or far future? What other aspects of our life could the Internet change? (previous entries have depicted how our lives have changed by the Internet) 🙂

#11 – Are you part of the Apple cult?

If you meet with a Mac user, there is almost always a smug condescending look on their face towards non-Mac users. While product evangelist is a person who promotes the product, the followers of the Apple cult takes on extreme to a whole other level where they are fanatical followers devoted to all things Apple, Macintosh, iPod, and iPhone.

Here is an example how “smug” Apple can be.

For Apple to create such a following for its product, the company must have done something right for the consumers. So why are Apple products so popular?

According to the article here by Tim Bajarin, people are keen to buy the products because the bought the vision of WHY Apple produced their various products, aside from WHAT it can offer – they follow leaders or buy products they believe in.

Apple also created products that can mimic that of the interaction between humans, providing a unique interaction and experience between machine and user.

Based on Steve Job’s biography, this author explained his understanding of why Apple’s products received such a huge following – Apple’s products provide an enriched experience to an already existing product in the market OR they were the first to introduce such product thus allowing them to gain a strong fan base from the very beginning.

Cult-like or not, no one could deny the success Apple has had for it various products. Below is a video (click on the picture!) of a business perspective on why Apple is doing better as opposed to their competitors, according to Ron Adner, author of “The Wide Lens: A New Strategy for Innovation” and strategy professor at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College.

Maybe the reason why Apple has such cult-like following started with this 1984 commercial?

A friend once said, once you go Mac, you never go back (to PC), and that is especially true for me. So what are some of the Apple products you do own and what was the motivation behind purchasing it? What are your thoughts about Apple?

#10 – Is citizen journalism an alternative news source?

The Internet has changed how we consume news. In the past, we get our daily dosage of news from the newspapers or television where information was given to us in a one directional – from journalist to readers. Today, while journalism is an essence still delivers news, the source of news has changed. With Internet, citizens have now become the source of news, often even sharing news.

Jay Rosen, an associate professor at New York University, defined citizen journalism as, “the people formerly known as the audience employ(ing) the press tools they have in their possession to inform one another.” The main idea behind citizen journalism is to be an alternative option for people to access news. Its content is generated by non-professional journalist through the means of the Internet such as blogs. According to the document on EDUCAUSE, “citizen journalism encompasses content ranging from user-submitted reviews on a Web site about movies to wiki-based news. Some sites only run stories written by users, while many traditional news outlets now accept comments and even news stories from readers.”

One of the key strengths of citizen journalism is its ability to deliver timely news. The most recent example would be the news of the death of singer Whitney Houston. According to the site here, the news broke 42 minutes by a citizen journalism source before legitimate news agencies specifically Associated Press broke the news. Another example is how news of the 2008 Mumbai terrorist attacks was first reported through citizen journalism. Watch the video below.

While citizen journalism acts as an alternative news source today in providing timely news, issues of credibility and quality of news arises. Professional journalists are trained to provide factual news where facts are checked and presented in a proper format. This is unlike citizen journalism where content, more often than not, are discovered accidentally and snapped through the use of smartphone.

One important note is that the Internet is a crucial tool that helps in disseminating information for citizen journalism. With the Internet, a greater wealth of information is presented to us. However, it is up to us evaluate the information presented. Below is a video of Katie Couric’s Top Citizen Journalism Moments on YouTube, snippets of videos that have been catalysts of change to issues of human rights and more.

So do you think journalism has changed over the years? What impact do you think the Internet has on journalism?