Facebook to Provide E-mail

According to the article "Facebook E-mail Service Challenges Google," Facebook is going to start providing its users with an email address.  While I think it is good that someone is challenging Google (they hold 20% of all email accounts and need someone to keep them on their toes), I really do not need another email account.  I already have own Gmail account, another account through paws, the account I created for this blog, and a state account through work.  While I realize that 4 accounts may not seem like a lot to some people, I hate having to keep track of all them.  So I am hoping that this email service through Facebook is something you can voluntarily sign up for and not something all users will automatically receive, as I already have enough email accounts.

Google Add another Service

According to the article Google Adds Offline Inventory Data to Product Search, Google is adding yet another feature in improve its search engine.  Google will now implement technology to search for "brick and mortar" companies.  We learned in class this means the company has both online and offline presence.  The search engine will now tell you what local store the product you are searching for can be found, as well as showing you where it can be found online.  This will definitely make Christmas shopping easier, especially for those who are not comfortable making purchases online  This feature will allow you to easily find a store close by to purchase the item.

India's Outsourcing Fears

The article "India Outsources Feel Unloved in the US" discusses issues facing India's large number of outsourcing companies.  The recent economic downturn in the US and increased fees for companies outsourcing outside of the US has decreased the number of IT outsourcing projects given to companies in India.  While these issues have decreased jobs in the past few years, it is expected that outsourcing to India will increase in the upcoming year as companies begin to start spending on IT again.
While one can see the benefits to companies in outsourcing, however companies should also consider how offshoring to a country like India will affect the US economy.  At what point does the government step in regulate how much a company should be allowed to offshore in an effort to help improve economic growth?

MySpace Making a Comeback?

According to the article "MySpace, a Fresh Coat of Paint," it appears that the CIO of New's Corp (the company that owns MySpace) plans to revamp the MySpace website in a last ditch effort to try and save the site.  The article states that MySpace is losing money and users each year and is now worth half of the amount that New's Corp bought the site for.
I never had a MySpace account. I tried it once and couldn't figure out how to use it, so i decided to stick to Facebook.  I started college at the beginning to of the social media explosion, and created a Facebook account (which at the time required you to have a .edu email address).  I liked the exclusivity of Facebook, and was a bit scared to join MySpace which was constantly the topic of media due to the growing number of sex offenders and stalkers it attracted.  However, Facebook jumped on the bandwagon and opened itself up to the general public to increase its user numbers, as a result it is now facing some of the same issues MySpace once faced.
While it may be too late for MySpace to make a comeback, maybe New's Corp should look into creating a website  based on Facebook's earlier concept of being a college student based social media site.  I would definitely prefer to be part of a more exclusive site and would feel safer having personal information on this type of site.   I wish I had the knowledge and skills needed to create a social media site, because I would run with this idea.

Old Tech Never Fades Away It just Dies

The article Old Technology Never Fades Away-It just Dies, discusses how as technology becomes outdated it does not simply fade away but quickly dies as it replaced by new technology.  It makes the point that many CIO's are faced with the decision of whether to invest in new technology.  While many want to make their business processes as efficient as a possible they also fear investing valuable capitol into technology that could be obsolete within a short time.
The article also addresses the rise of multipurpose gadgets like smartphones.  It is suggested that single function gadgets are at risk of dying off.  Smartphones have now done away with the need for people to carry around cameras, iPod's, and GPS's and made have made people reevaluate the things that put in their pockets.  Is it possible we will eventually get to the point where every piece of technology we own must have multiple purposes?

Week 5-Offensive Video Games

I am EXTREMELY disturbed by the  article "The 15 Most Offensive Video Games Ever Made."  I have never been much of a gamer, in fact the only video game I have ever been any good at was Mario Brothers from the original Nintendo.  That being said I do not have much experience with the types of games that are on the market.  However, I would have never imagined that the type of games described in this article existed.    Over the years, I have heard a few news casts about controversy surrounding a certain video game that is to be released, but I don't recall anything about these games.  I do not understand how can companies agree to produce these types of games?  Do these games sell? Are they making a profit? I really hope not. I want to believe that there are not that many disturbed people in the world that these companies are making money off of games that depict rape, murder, torture, and the list goes on and on.  However, I also want to believe that the are not people out there who can event these sick games, but as the article shows that isn't the case.

Week 4: What your Smartphone says about you?

As an iPhone user, the article Android, iPhone, Blackberry: What They say about You caught my eye.  I was curious to see if I fit into the stereotypical iPhone user category.  According to the article I am more likely to have a landlines than an Android users, less likely to recycle than the Blackberry user, and more chatty than other phone users.  Well.....I don't have landline, only recycle on campus, and don't spend much time talking or texting on my phone, so I guess they were right on one instance.  The article also revealed that iPhone users were more likely to make purchases and watch TV on their phone than Android or Blackberry users; I occasionally make purchases but never watch TV on my phone.  Where the article did seem to match me correctly to other iPhone users was when it pointed out that users are not as techy as they may seem.  iPhone users are more likely to rent movies from Blockbuster, read books, and not know what type of TV they have, all of which I do.  So I guess my phone does reveal some things about me. I wonder if the Blackberry and Android users feel the same way?