Goodbye COM 125!

It felt like just yesterday it was our first class for COM 125. Time flies by fast and it is already the end of the semester along with COM 125.

I have got to admit, coming into the class, I thought it would be a boring one but it was the contrary. I have thoroughly enjoyed this class. It is also very enriching. Prior to this, I thought I know quite a bit about the Internet since I am constantly on the Internet! Be it on Facebook, watching videos on YouTube, listening to music and so on. I was utterly mistaken…

I’ve learnt much more than I anticipated from this class. It is very interesting to see that the Internet has actually enriched and has assimilated seamlessly into our everyday lives. With social media, social networking, online shopping and the list goes on and on.

The Internet not only affect our lives on trivial matters but also on important aspects of society such as politics and education with the emergence of citizen journalism, E-Learning and many others. Boy do we owe a lot to Internet for the life we have now!

I have enjoyed the show and tell sessions in class. It was interesting and informative. Some are really funny too like the hilarious interactive YouTube videos(the one with the bear!) The presentation that was presented by my classmates helped me learn even more about the Internet which was useful. Other than that, the report my group did really enlightened me about the Social Networking craze happening in the Philippines.

Last but not least, the class could not have happened without the guidance of Mr Abel Choy. Thanks for being patient with us and sharing your jokes! You have indeed made the class an enjoyable experience for us! Thank you Mr Choy (:

 

Future of The Internet : Ahhh Rise of the Machines

The Internet we know today has been largely about connecting people to information, people to people, and people to business.If you ask me, the Internet has come a long way. It has definitely evolved tremendously for the past decade. What is it going to be like in the future one may ask? We can’t know what exactly it is going to be like since the future is uncertain but we can predict.

Take a look at the video to see the evolution of the Internet

So the video basically highlights the possibility of increase access to the Internet from intelligent devices, clothes, and many others. Cool isn’t it?

Other than that, just like the Industrial Revolution, there are predictions of an “Industrial Internet” – an open, global network that connects people, data and machines.

Basically, there are now millions of machines all over the world. Simple electric motors, advanced MRI machines to sophisticated machineries that produce electricity.  There are also thousands of complex networks ranging from power grids to railroad systems, which tie machines and fleets together.This vast physical world of machines, facilities, fleets and networks can more deeply merge with the connectivity, big data and analytics of the digital world. This is what the Industrial Internet Revolution is all about.

This is where the cloud computing comes into play. The Industrial Internet leverages the power of the cloud to connect machines embedded with sensors and sophisticated software to other machines (and to us) so we can extract data, make sense of it and find meaning where it did not exist before.

Machines – from jet engines to gas turbines to CT scanners – will have the analytical intelligence to self-diagnose and self-correct. They will be able to deliver the right information to the right people, all in real time. When machines can sense conditions and communicate, they become instruments of understanding. They create knowledge from which we can act quickly, saving money and producing better outcomes.

Ahh, sound familiar? Yes, machines are going to rule the world! Some may say this is a long shot but hey, who are we t disagree? Lets just see what will happen in future. There are endless possibilities for the Internet- too often we’re still left asking, “to what end?”

http://gigaom.com/2012/11/28/the-future-of-the-internet-is-intelligent-machines/

Journalism and the Internet

The Internet has definitely played a part in the evolution to modern day journalism. In this digital age, one can simply get news online without having the need to buy a Newspaper. Newspapers such as Today and The Strait Times have an online version that provide even more than your usual morning paper. There are videos, forums and comment sections to make the experience better for the readers.

Besides that, the Internet has given rise to CITIZEN JOURNALISM.

The Internet has given opportunities for the average man to be journalists, to have a part in the process of reporting news. This can be in the form of blogs, videos or podcasts. Media consumers are becoming news producers. They are able to report and influence socio-political changes. Citizen generated news links, photos and videos often go viral – propagate quickly and extensively on the Internet through social networking sites like Youtube, Facebook and Twitter. This contributes to the dynamic media scene.

Another example of citizen journalism has got to be the infamous STOMP website.

Hate it or love it, it is still “journalism”. Basically, this website allow individuals to contribute stories or pictures and report incidents that they witness in their daily lives.

I am actually utterly appalled by this website. I don’t see the things they report as news. Just check the website out and you’ll understand where I am coming from.

Other than that, I feel twitter has played a huge role in changing the landscape of journalism. Check out the video below.

Microblogging put to good use in my opinion

 

Politics.

After the 2008 presidential campaign in America, not only did Barack Obama won the hearts of the Americans, the Internet came out as a star, solidifying its role in politics.

Obama’s internet campaign changed politics.

“Were it not for the Internet, Barack Obama would not be president. Were it not for the Internet, Barack Obama would not have been the nominee,”said Arianna Huffington, editor in chief of The Huffington Post.

And again, on  7 November 2012, Barack Obama was re-elected President of the USA.

Obama tweeted a short and simple message “Four more years”, together with a photo of himself and his wife in an embrace.

Thanks to President Obama and his success in 2008 with internet campaigning, the Internet has become a huge part in political campaigning. Now, many leaders are embracing the medium as a vital part to campaigning.

For instance, the Philippines, the capital of social networking, is using it to drum up their political campaigns.

The Internet has definitely allow the public to have more access to the politicians. Obama has a Facebook account and so does Romney. Even PM Lee has Facebook. This allows them to be in touch with the public, their voters, making them more relatable and personal. Other than that, the public can easily watch videos of rallys and speeches made by the politicians online via YouTube and many others. Basically, the Internet brings the public closer to the politicians.

Besides that, by  highlighting a compelling speech form YouTube and sharing it on Twitter and Facebook, campaigns are able to generate widespread interest – people share the content among their friends rather than have it forced upon them as an advertisement. Smart isn’t it?

However, Internet in politics does have it limitations.

For instance, the video of Mitt Romney’s comment about America’s 47 percent.The video was leaked online and like other things on the Internet, it went vira and may have cost him his presidency.

Other than that, remember Tin Pei Ling? The Internet shot her in the foot too.

She was part of PAP’s political party.  The public went wild with her Facebook account. Her pictures became the laughing stock and she was bullied by the public. Just because of Facebook, she was under scrutiny by the public as her personal life is put on the platter for everyone to judge.

Even before the Internet, politicians’ live are constantly under scrutiny of the public.  Now, with the existence of the Internet, politicians have to be careful, more than ever  with their words and actions, be it in public or in private.

Apple Vs Samsung, What about the rest?

When we say multimedia, we think of pictures, music, videos, films, animations and many more. Multimedia has the power to effectively engage the internet users  with its appealing elements. Correct me if I am wrong but anything that has pictures or videos definitely attracts us. Given its popularity, multimedia such as photo sharing, video, podcasts and mobile marketing are increasingly used in many marketing strategies.

Multimedia can spread the word about the product and help build brand awareness in a very unique and powerful way. Multimedia has the ability to go viral quickly.

Leading mobile phone companies such as Samsung and Apple are using video commercials to enhance their brand. Lets not forget Nokia as well as many are also utilizing multimedia to capture the attention of many cellphone users out there.

Lets take a look at a few (some I have enjoyed, some are utterly boring…),

Apple iPhone 5 advertisement

What a snoozefest. Okay don’t get me wrong. I am an iPhone user and I thoroughly enjoy the cellphone but am I the only one that feels that iPhone commercials are blah? Whatever happen to the time of the cool iPod commercial with the dancing people? (You know what I am talking about!) Yes the commercial is letting the phone talk for itself, bragging the features it has. However is it enough? The first few seconds with the man talking is enough to put me to sleep. Yes, it is an effective way of using multimedia to educate the public about the phone but its a flop in captivating one’s attention.

Apple, the iPhone is amazing! Why not make a video commercial that is awesome too! ( Ps. take notes from Samsung)

Even though I am an iPhone fan, I have go to admit that Samsung ads are the bomb!

I love this commercial. It is a sly move on Samsung but it is brilliant! It is basically a parody of consumer queueing in line for a certain “phone” (ahh its obvious what phone it is). Not only is it amusing, it is actually pretty persuasive. I am so close to getting myself a Samsung S3…

This is a perfect example of effective marketing using multimedia. It manage to attract my attention, create brand awareness as well as tell me about the product.

The next Samsung commercial is not that bad either.

This commercial, if not created properly may just end up like the iPhone 5’s. It is using the video to show off the features the phone has (which can easily be boring). However, Samsung use stunning imagery and cinematography as well as brilliant phone tips to capture the attention of the audience perfectly.

So who is the winner? Well… I can’t say. I may sound bias toward Samsung but I am still an iPhone fan. If you look closer, all these ads are talking about the same things about phones that have similar functions and features. The only difference is that if their use of multimedia manage to captivate us.

The video commercials merely got their foot in the door. The rest is up to the phone to win us over.

 

 

 

Are we safe?

Have you ever wonder how safe it is to traverse through the Internet? The Internet is a vast space and can be a very dangerous place. With the prevalence of internet usage, Internet security and safety is definitely a necessity for everyone.

There are  people out there that want your money and profits. Be it by scamming or hacking. Nowadays there are even websites and even Youtube tutorials that teach you how to hack computers or accounts. Other than that, there are also websites that offer such services. The Internet is just filled with scary stuff that we do not want to fall prey to.

With the rising cyber crimes  it is very important for us to learn how to protect our computers from hackers, phishing, viruses, worms and Trojans.

Unfamiliar with many of the said terms? Take a look at these videos:

Viruses, worms and other dangers of the Internet

Cyber Crimes

What is Phishing?

The Internet seems like a scary place huh? So how do we keep safe from such dangers? I can bore you with lengthy details but here are some videos!

Here’s a way to stay safe while surfing the net

How about viruses, worms and Trojans?

From the two videos above, you can follow the steps to protect your computer and stay safe on the Internet.

Ultimately, you have to follow this few simple steps.

1) Upgrade operating systems and software (to the latest versions)

2) Be careful with links and files (don’t click on links that you don’t know the destination of or download files from sources you don’t trust)

3) Be careful with e-mail attachments and links

4)Run up-to-date anti-virus software

Just use this simple guideline as well as the tips from the videos and you are good to go! Stay safe online!

My Video!

This week we were assigned to make a video from scratch. With the aid of iMovie, I DID IT! Frankly speaking, I’m pretty bad with technical stuff. However, iMovie was easy to use and made my video making experience smooth and pleasant. I quite enjoy making videos now.

So here you go, my amateur video of The Beatles (I am a huuuuge fan. So a fan vid is necessary. Haha)

Enjoy!

eLearning

Electronic learning or E-Learning allows you to learn anytime and anywhere as long as you have a computer or now, even a smartphone! (that is correctly configured)

It can be CD-ROM based, Network-based, Intranet-based or Internet-based. It can include text, video, audio, animation and virtual environments. It can be a very rich learning experience that can even surpass the level of training you might experience in a crowded classroom. It’s self-paced, hands-on learning.

E-Learning is far from new. In fact, the concept of eLearning have been around for quite a while actually. Recall the SARS a few years back. Since school was closed, many  of them utilized E-Learning to keep the students on track with school work.

Today, even in SIM-UB we encounter E-Learning. Some of you may be talking up online modules. Basically, you do not have to be in the school to learn. Nifty huh? Just download the video lectures and you are good to go!

Other than all the boring school stuff, I feel that E-Learning has evolved. You can learn anything on the Internet. We turn to Google for information we do not know. In fact just by “googling”  we are learning something new everyday.

Want to learn how to cook? Google it. Want to learn how to play a guitar? You can just head to YouTube. Yes I said YouTube. YouTube is filled with tutorials for anything from something as trivial as frying an egg to tutorials about municipal bonds.

Here are some examples:

Learn how to make pancakes!

Or if your communication modules are stressing you, there are also videos for that.

Thus, with the existence of Google, YouTube and many others, E-Learning has definitely transcended into a huge part of our lives.

e-Commerce

In this digital age, it is best that we tap into the fact that everything can be done online. So why not set up an online business? It is proven that it is lucrative. Just look at the young and successful blogshop owners here in Singapore! Have you ever wondered how blogshops thrived? Or just any other online businesses?

If you are interested or considering to set up an online business,

take a look at the 10 key factors why some e-commerce succeeded:

1. Think strategy first. Website and everything else second. 

Getting started with e-commerce can be difficult enough, but without a strategy to get your foot in the door – basically to promote your products it is definitely going to be a hard process. Ask yourself how people will find your products online and in search engines. So focus not only on your website but how it will be found in search engines too! Such a skull breaker this one..

2. Present the customer with a professional and reputable image.

There are millions of websites on the internet. Thus, it is hard enough to find a reliable one. Ultimately, for e-commerce sites, reputability is the deal breaker.

Consumers have such a wide variety of options available to them these days that you could lose them simply because your competition looks more reputable and professional than you. Despite how many people make purchases online, customers are still leery about using their credit card online. Having a site that looks great will go a long way in making that all important first impression and instilling confidence. Take the time to have your website designed by a professional and it will return your investment many times over.

3. Clearly tell customers why you are the site to buy from.

This may seem obvious but it’s surprising how many sites miss this effective and easy to implement idea. Make it clear why people should purchase from you. Simply tell them that you’re the obvious choice.

Why should they purchase anything from your website? Do you offer the low prices in your industry? Can you ship their purchases quicker? Do you have testimonials or product reviews?  This can be integrated into everything from your site tagline to promotions on the homepage and throughout the website.

4. Make it EASY for customers to find what they are looking for.

Always offer flexible options for searching and sorting and navigation like some of the following: “Did you mean?” spelling corrections when searching.

• Search suggestions while typing.
• Related searches list.
• Advanced search options.
• Allow filtering – Filtering by price. Filter by availability. Filter by free shipping.
• Search tips and advice.
• Shop by brand.
• Shop by price.
• Saved searches and views.

You’ve got customers so don’t lose them because they can’t find what they want.

5. Keep it simple.

I am sure everyone including me wants a quick and easy way to shop. Time is valuable! So keep your site simple. I

Make the purchase process PAINLESS. Here are some basic recommendations:

• Provide an easy and clear way to add multiple items to a shopping cart.
• Provide a one-page checkout system.
• Give them shipping quote estimates.
• Do not require customers to register and provide a guest checkout option.
• Display clear pricing and shipping information.
• Make it quick and easy to pay and finalize the order.

6. Make your products easy to scan and read.

Basically, keep your headlines, summaries and other SHORT. People have short attention span.

7. For God’s sake, show them the products!

Focus on photos, keep text to a minimum unless it’s secondary.

• Allow the customer to see the product from different angles.
• Allow the customer to use photo zooming.

8. Offer many payment options.

Try to offer as many options as possible – Visa/Mastercard, Paypal(for the most obvious reasons), etc. If you have an e-commerce site you can also consider selling world-wide. Allow payments in multiple currencies!

9. Make your customers feel comfortable and secure.

Make your customers feel comfortable by prominently stating the following throughout your site and during the checkout process: Online security information, privacy policies, your guarantees, additional charges, return policies, shipping policies, order status updates, contact information, how you handle store credits, provide comments and reviews from past customers, integrate live chat so you can answer questions immediately. Give your customers access to customer service and differentiate yourself from the competition in every way possible. Give them your phone number!Past studies suggest that consumers feel more confident knowing you’re just a phone call away if they have a question or if there’s a problem with their order. Make them feel comfortable and they will buy.

10. Sell your customers more than what they came for.

Now that you have someone interested in buying, make sure to take it to the next level. This is a critical differentiator for sites that make a lot of sales and those who just survive. Sell your customers more “stuff”. Most of the time this is easier than you think.

Recommending options and/or additions to a purchase, customers will see what’s possible and available and increase their purchase.Integrated recommendations, up sells, internal promotions, popular products, customers who bought also bought, customers who viewed also viewed, list your new products, display your top/most popular products, list BOGO options, provide free shipping when they spend a certain amount of money (just a little more than the average cost of your products). Find ways to let them know about everything that you have and what might be a good addition to the purchase they came to make.

So now that you know the 10 key factors, what are you waiting for? You are ready to set up your online business! Just follow these 10 simple (yet thorough) steps and you can succeed too!

http://www.sanctuarymg.com/10-keys-to-an-effective-e-commerce-site/

Social Networking

I am sure all of us are at least a part of a social network (and more, for those who have no life. You know who you are! haha) In this day and age, most of us spend at least a few hours of the day logging on social networking sites. So what is social networking? It is basically the grouping of individuals into specific groups. Although social networking is possible in person, people do it online. It is easier that way. Period.

We go on social networking sites to get jobs, opportunities, make friends, find love and the list goes on and on.

With the advent of smartphones such as the Iphone and numerous other android phones, social networking “on the go” is made even easier. One just need a smartphone and wifi connection to do so. Even iPhones have apps that allow you to access any of these sites with an ease of a touch. You can read check on your social networking sites while on the bus, in the toilet(oh yes…), many others. The possibilites are endless.

Many are anticipating smartphones to drive massive growth in mobile social networking. I shall leave you guys with this to ponder the vast realities of social networking with the aid of smartphones.

There are around 650-million mobile social media users in the world today. According to Juniper Research, a company specialising in providing research and analysis to companies in the tech sector, that number is to set hit 1.3-billion by 2016 — “more than the total number of social media users on all platforms today”.