Goverments potenital impact on technology

It will be interesting to observe over the next decade what if any impact goverment policies will have on new technologies that essentially allow people to be tracked. Will laws or govermental policies be enacted on the basis of ensuring of privacy? Will this stifle advances in technologies. Who knows, but some countries outside the U.S. have already started cracking down, most notably China, but here is an interesting article about something as innocuous as Street View being banned in the Czech Republic: http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/sep/22/google-street-view-czech-privacy

Computers set for Quantum Leap

Unfortunately, this post has nothing to do with Scott Bakula or the show Quantum Leap, this recent article in the Financial Times discuss the new advances in computer chips. The move from electricity based to light based chips could happen in as few as five years. The ramifications of which could spread across all aspects of society.

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/8c0a68b0-c1bc-11df-9d90-00144feab49a.html

Enjoy.

Not Quite Breaking News

Not being very familiar with Twitter, I was surprised to come across the fact that Twitter distributed breaking World News ( http://twitter.com/BREAKINGNEWS ) I always assumed Twitter was a frivolous way for celebrities to inform others of their trivial thoughts and ideas. Maybe I was wrong, for first time I am considering following something on Twitter. If a cynical pessimist like myself can be persuaded to consider change, what does that mean? Could this be one of the final coffin nails for print media and Network News programs?

Social Impact of Technology

While I realize our class focuses mostly on the role of technology in the business and economic environment. I think it is equally interesting to think about the social impact of technology advancements. At 26, I feel extremely fortunate to have been a teenager and young college student before it was common place for videos or pictures of everything I had done to show up on several different outlets in near real time. I honestly can’t imagine what it would be like to be a high school student right now.


Possibly more interesting though is what the ramifications of these continued advances in technology will be on the future political and social climate. In 25 years, any person running for political will have decade’s worth of technological footprints, for opponents to sift through to find that one out of context Face Book post or embarrassing video. Who could possible run for office in such an environment a shut in or perhaps a robot? Will these people really still be representative of society at large? It’s also possible, that I am completely over thinking this, and using it as an excuse to not learn how to use the new Face Book and I-Phone Apps.