A Blog About Blogs

Forms of communication have evolved over time, from face-to-face to telephone conversations, from email to videoconferencing and finally to blogs. A blog is an article in which a person can voice his or her opinion freely. It can be used as a tool for one to express their thoughts about different issues or can be used by companies for advertisement purposes. A blog can prove very advantageous for any type of organization. It allows for members of the organization such as employees to promote their products or services in a more formal and humane way and to build Stronger relationships and trust with clientele.

Advantages of blogs in an organization:

• Consumers will be better informed on what an organization has to offer.
  
• Builds Stronger relationships with customers and improve public relations.
  
• Can be used by employees to share news and knowledge about their respective organizations.
  
• They are an excellent source of feedback from clients who read blogs and leave comments.

Disadvantages of blogs in an organization:

• It can sometimes be difficult for one to speak their mind and voice their opinions in a clear defined manner.
• Maintaining a blog eats up a lot of time which could be spent doing more to benefit the organization.
  
• Older people who aren't up to date with technology will not read blogs and would prefer a more direct form of communication by organizations.

It is clear that the advantages of blogs in organizations outweigh its disadvantages. I believe that blogs will improve an organizations functionality and is a cheap way promote what a company has to offer.

References:

1. http://www.gerrymcgovern.com/nt/2004/nt_2004_08_23_blogging.htm
   

Please do not Disturb

Nothing in this world is perfect, the same goes for revolutionary technology such as Smart Dust. With improvements in surveillance and monitoring technology, privacy has become a growing concern. According to Professor Michael Mehta of the University of Saskatchewan, "as a precondition of trust, privacy is an essential ingredient in a society where 'social capital' is required for stimulating innovation." It is feared that smart dust will have a negative impact on privacy in all industries and functional areas. Smart dust poses a greater threat of privacy for older people because they are not as accustomed to being monitored as younger people are. Elders who are not as technologically advanced will find this IT to be intrusive. It's safe to say that I would not want to be monitored on a 24 hour, seven days a week basis.

Other Disadvantages of smart dust include:

• Each "mote" costs up to 100$ today, but that price is expected to greatly decrease within the next few years.
• Can pose a great threat such as terrorism if used by the wrong people. Smart dust can be used as a form of espionage, and can be used for the wrong reasons.

To learn more about how smart dust affects privacy visit http://www.innovationwatch-archive.com/choiceisyours/choiceisyours.2006.12.15.htm

References:

1. http://www.northjersey.com/news/84759412__Smart_dust__aims_to_revolutionize_lives.html
2. http://www.e-core.org.uk/content/smart_dust/smart.htm
3. http://www.innovationwatch-archive.com/choiceisyours/choiceisyours.2006.12.15.htm
   

Good Things Come in Small Packages

Everyday, new technology is being developed in hopes of making the world an easier and safer place to live in. In the case of smart dust, a countless amount of advantages can be identified when discussing its many capabilities. Smart dust is a versatile technology since it uses up very little space, therefore it can be implemented virtually anywhere. As mentioned in an earlier blog, the use of smart dust is extensive; ranging from industry to hospital use, from military to airport use and for home and environmental usage as well.

In industries such as warehouses, factories and plants, smart dust will be able to monitor the conditions of the buildings and machinery. This will lead to a decrease in maintenance and inspection costs, as the buildings will be under 24 hour surveillance, seven days of the week, all year round. Smart dust will detect if there are any manufacturing defects, leakages and even detect possible threats of danger. Corporations and organizations will benefit by using smart dust for various reasons:

• System and infrastructure costs are greatly reduced
• Efficiency and functionality of operations are improved
• Increase in productivity
  

In the case of hospitals, smart dust will be able to monitor patient's rooms by tracking the movement and condition of the patient. Scientists foresee smart dust as a way of detecting illness in patients by searching through a patient's bloodstream and potentially be able to carry medication which it can dispense when needed (1). Military bases and airports would be more secure because any potential threats would be detected by the sensors. The military can utilize smart dust's capabilities to survey a battlefield and track transportation and soldier locations. In regard to airport security, smart dust would monitor all passengers going on-board a plane and analyze their stress signals while policing for dangerous items in a carry-on. smart dust can serve as a substitute for smoke detectors and alarm systems in households, stores and any other necessary location. If they detect and unusual activity, they report the data to a central computer which can notify fire or police departments. Smart dust will even be able to be planted on streets and highways, detecting anything from accidents to traffic flow while reporting them in real time.

Overall, the advantages of using Smart Dust in these scenarios are quite staggering. The benefits of using this new technology heavily outweigh the disadvantages, if any.

More advantages of smart dust can be found online at http://robotics.eecs.berkeley.edu/~pister/SmartDust/

References:

1. http://www.northjersey.com/news/84759412__Smart_dust__aims_to_revolutionize_lives.html
2. http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/79572/Smart_Dust?taxonomyId=15&pageNumber=2
3. http://robotics.eecs.berkeley.edu/~pister/SmartDust/
   

Smartdust: an IT substitute

Smoke Detectors, Alarm systems, who needs 'em!? Smart Dust can do it all. With all of smart dust's capabilities it will be able to replace the majority of security systems around the globe. In the case of alarm systems, Smart Dust has the ability to detect motion, vibrations and light. Therefore it is not a wise decision for someone to break into a house occupied by these "state of the art sensors". Smoke detectors can be replaced as well and at a much cheaper cost. Smart Dust will not only detect smoke, but it will analyze the air, detect hazardous materials, track human movement and trigger appropriate warnings, remedies and instructions for rescuers (1). More capabilities of this revolutionary technology can be found at http://www.northjersey.com/news/84759412__Smart_dust__aims_to_revolutionize_lives.html.

References:

1)http://www.northjersey.com/news/84759412__Smart_dust__aims_to_revolutionize_lives.html

2)http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/79572/Smart_Dust?taxonomyId=15&pageNumber=2

Welcome to the Future

Smart Dust, a revolutionary invention also known as mini robots or "motes", has taken the IT world by storm. They are micro-electromechanical sensors (MEMS) , currently the size of a pager, developed by Professor Kristofer Pister at the University of Berkeley in California. Smart Dust acts as a wireless network of sensors that are able to communicate with each other and a central computer, transmitting data while sensing and analyzing its surrounding environment. These micro-electromechanical sensors have the ability to monitor temperature, radiation, even detect light, vibrations, movements and toxic chemicals (vist http://www.scienceclarified.com/scitech/Artificial-Intelligence/The-Future-of-AI.html to see more) Since the beginning of its research in the late 90's, Smart Dust appears to have unlimited potential to what it can contribute to today's world. Eventually, these "motes" will be the size of a grain of rice or a speck of dust. Scientists believe that Smart dust will have a major impact on many different levels such as the military, business corporations and organizations, hospitals, airports and in our communities. Imagine having the ability to detect chemical weapons around an airport or oncoming attacks from enemies in battle, smart dust will be able to accomplish this. These sensors will not be difficult for consumers to get their hands on, as they will only be costing one dollar per mote. There is no telling what the future has in store for Smart Dust.


references:

1) http://www.scienceclarified.com/scitech/Artificial-Intelligence/The-Future-of-AI.html

2) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smartdust