The Changing of Human Society

On Tuesday, I attended a discussion hosted by Media Future Now (at Google’s DC headquarters!) that focused on the diversity (or lack thereof) in print and broadcast journalism.

The conversation covered a large array of topics including the inability of the newsroom to fulfill its original purpose of serving the community, the difficulty for smaller organizations to attract and keep diverse talent and the necessity to understand a person’s being deeper than just demographic categories.

However, one of the most interesting peripheral points that was made is how the decline of the newspaper (and the rise of online news) will change our society as a whole.

One of the internet’s biggest advantages – the ability to cater to niche markets and audiences – is also potentially one of its greatest dangers.

When people received their news through newspapers, it was much more likely that they would wander and read articles in sections other than those in which they were interested. (For example, even if they were primarily a Business section reader, they would read the Arts section as well.) 

Now, because it’s possible to completely customize the news experiences online — by only reading entirely Business-focused publications or searching specifically for Business articles, for instance — we settle into exploring only the familiar.

This has astronomically dangerous implications for our society as the barrier to receive information has increased. (You need to actively seek out information which may not be readily available through these narrow information streams.)

The same scenario has already played out with the advent of cable television. When individuals could only receive their TV through three major networks, they were very likely to end up watching programs that they may have not otherwise actively sought out (but just happened to be on at the time). Now, with cable programming — and DVRs! — it’s very easy to ONLY watch SPECIFICALLY those shows that we are interested in.

The issue is that there’s something to be said about the loss of receving unintentional information. I may really enjoy the History Channel, but if I’ve never stumpled across it and taken the time to see if I like it, that’s a lost opportunity for personal enhancement – and at an aggregate level, a lost opportunity for society as a whole.

Progress, both individually and collectively, can’t take place if we stop learning. And the increased ability to block (or simply not actively look for) additional information through modern technology makes me wonder how our society will develop in the future…

(The whole thing would make for a great Vonnegut story, wouldn’t it?)

5 iPhone Apps That Rocked My World

If you’re an iPhone owner and I’ve seen you recently, you’ve most likely already heard about my two new favorite applications. I figured it’s about time to spread the love to the rest of the world… So, without further ado, here are two iPhone applications that have rocked my world recently:

1.  Movies by Flixter – With this application, you can check to see all movies that are currently out in theaters, find nearby theaters with address and phone information, find upcoming showtimes (by movie or by theater), see upcoming movie releases or recent DVD releases, get to review sites like Rotten Tomatoes and IMDB with just one click…

In the words of George Gershwin:  Who could ask for anything more? (Interestingly enough, this application was created by a Jeffrey Grossman, a sophomore at Carnegie Mellon University, and it became the first acquired iPhone app when Flixter bought it in August 2008. Read the full story here.)

2. Fring – Fring brings instant messaging to the iPhone – which isn’t that impressive since other applications can do that as well – and do it better, I might add. The IM Plus application allows the user to sign onto MULTIPLE instances of different Instant Messaging platforms like Google Chat and AIM.

But what sets Fring apart is that it enables you to use Skype from your phone and have it count as a (free) computer-to-computer call. This means that Micki in Israel will be getting to hear my voice a lot more frequently now.  Is your best friend studying abroad this semester? Have family overseas? All I’m saying is, you can thank me later.

Back in October,  I made a list of my favorite iPhone applications. I’d like to call out my favorite three that aren’t newly discovered (and therefore don’t qualify for the preceding list) but are now tried-and-true staples that deserve mention just the same.

3. Sportacular. Pro: Allows you to get updated scores for a variety of sports. You can even set it up to see all your favorite teams in one view. Con: Means that I know right away when my Red Sox and Pats aren’t doing so well. Ignorance is bliss sometimes, my friends.

4. Shazam. Pro: Hear a song on the radio, at the gym, during a night out, etc, and don’t know what it is? Shazam will tell you the title/artist and save it for you to view/listen to later. Con: Sometimes it does get stumped. (For example, it didn’t recognize Christina Arguilera’s “Keeps Getting Better”)

5. Twitterfon. Pro: Allows me to update my twitter status from my phone and shows my friends’ statuses. UPDATE: Allows me to see top trending twitter terms, locates nearby users and makes it super easy to reply, retweet and load others’ timelines. Perfection. Con: I’m not convinced that it provides any additional functionality that twitter.com is lacking. Sometimes, my friends remind me that I MUST put my phone away when I’m with others.

So, there’s my five. Now, what have I missed? What’s the iPhone application you just couldn’t live without?

Hello, PC. Well, hello, Mac.

I’ve had my Dell Latitude D410 for about three years now, and it’s served me well. But, the battery doesn’t work which means I need to keep it plugged in at all times or it turns off immediately and the embedded keypad doesn’t respond correctly, so I have an external mouse. It’s loud and runs unbearable slow at times. Ultimately, for all intents and purposes, it’s no longer the  ultraportable notebook I bought in January 2006, but a loud, clumsy desktop from the 90s.

Therefore, after three years, I think it’s time to upgrade. My options are to buy another Dell or switch to Mac. I’ve always heard that Macs are the premium standard, especially for those involved in web development or design. But, I have some hesitations – my computer now is super small, and even the 13″ Macbook is bigger and heavier, I’m afraid. Also, looking ahead to the possibility of Grad School, it seems like PCs are still the requirement there. (I could argue, however, that Grad School is at least three years out, if at all, and by then, it would be time to invest in a new computer anyways.) And, to be frank, Macs are pricier than PCs.

So, I’m asking you, my friends and readers, for help. Please take the poll below and, more importantly, leave a comment on why you have chosen the computer you use and/or any advice you may have for me. If you switched from one type to the other, what was reason? Was it hard to learn a new system? How do you view Macs versus PCs?

Thanks in advance!