Computer of the near future!!

This is incredible. The video explains it all!

Cell Phones of the Future!

Here is a link to Business Week with several different articles on several different type of phones that will be coming out in the near future. The designs are so unique and they are making them useful for almost every need!

http://images.businessweek.com/ss/06/08/cellphones/index_01.htm

mIRC

One of the greatest tools to this day that not many people know about. mIRC is a program that connects users to servers that have information, files for download, and other users to chat with. The features of mIRC are amazing, and the posibilities excede what you can do with AIM, Ventrilo, or many other communication programs, but it is very difficult to use. Because of its difficult to use and understand, it has stayed away from the mainstream, and is more widely known amongst computer geeks (such as myself) and gamers (oh why did I fit both categories). If you ever have time, check out mIRC!

The Modern Internet

Many of the posts on this blog relate items such as email, ventrilo, AIM, office, etc... None of these are possible without the modern internet. The internet is what allows us to share our ideas instantly over great land distances. The posibilities using the internet are endless, and I feel that it is the most significant invention of the last 30 years, which is a big accomplishment considering how far we have come with technology in that time period.

Google Documents

A few weeks ago we discussed Google Documents, and I think its a great way for people to communicate ideas. While it may not be direct verbal communication, it is still a collaboration of several parties, which in my eyes is communication. Similar services exist, and all of them have one thing in common: They allow users to communicate and share their ideas to collaborate and create a fine piece of work.

Ventrilo

Ventrilo is a program that allows users to connect to a server and speak with each other. Each server has a different layout. There can be public rooms that everyone can join, or password protected rooms so that only those who have access will be able to join. You can chat with one person, or an entire group of people. There are also text-to-speech options and text messaging options within ventrilo. If you are looking for fun, you can modify someone's voice settings so that when they talk they sound like a chipmunk or a demon! YOU CHOOSE!

GoToMeeting: Web conferencing

GoToMeeting is an online tool that businesses can use to host meetings over the Internet instead of meeting in person. Anyone can view an application on one PC using a patented technology.

GoToMeeting is a great way for businesses to save money on unneeded travel cost, which in turn saves time when one doesn't have to leave the office or home for that matter in order to conduct a meeting.

try it for free at https://www1.gotomeeting.com/en_US/entry/entry.tmpl

XBOX LIVE

XBOX LIVE is an online multiplayer gaming and digital media delivery service which debuted on the original XBOX in 2002 and upgraded with the launch of the XBOX 360 in 2005.

It allows millions of subscribers to communicate in game via the system's built in ethernet connection with broadband internet service.

The ability to communicate with anyone in the world helped take gaming a step up into a more social, mainstream arena. Aside from chatting in game, either through text or voice, players can access the marketplace and download the lastest game content, TV shows, movies, and more.

Blogs!

Blogging is a great form of communication. Whether it be used as a personal journal or a way of keeping friends and family updated on whats going on in your life.
There are also video blogs for people who do not like to type.


This is just a typical example of a video blog.(Don't worry! It's not about how technology sucks!)

E-mail

Here is a link to another blog on the history of e-mailing.

http://projectbasedlearningteamd.blogspot.com/2008/03/history-of-emailing.html

I believe that email is still becoming a new source of communication for small businesses. With the company I am currently with, there are many people switching over to e-mailing information and paper work apposed to sending it regular mail.
One major perk about sending information through e-mail is the response time. I also find that it is more reliable to e-mail paper work then to send it over fax.

Text Messaging

The first text message was sent by a Motorola beeper in 1989 using numbers to spell out words upside down. The first SMS message was claimed to be sent by a Nokia worker in 1993.

Text messaging has become a very popular way of communicating in recent years. They have cell phones plans that no accomdate unlimited text messaging because of how popular it has become. Some people question texting as aposed to just picking up the phone and talkng to someone. In reality, text messaging is quick and simple and can be cheaper than calling if you pay for unlimited messaging.

OnStar

OnStar was created by GM to help with communication in the car. If you have OnStar and you are in an accident, the OnStar Center is able to locate you through the GPS on your system and send immediate help. The center is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

This type of communication would be ideal for elderly or young drivers. You have a phone number to the car and anyone can reach you on it.

Here is a link to their website which has more information on how you can get OnStar and which cars come with OnStar.
http://www.onstar.com/us_english/jsp/index.jsp

Also, at the bottom of the homepage there are some good articles about OnStar to read.

Voice over I.P

As this communication tool became introduced to the mass market it’s popularity grew enormously. VoIP controls the outgoing and incoming transmissions as digital audio through an audio stream. As major Internet companies expanded their horizons this is just a natural progression into the next step for dominating various markets.

Web Cams

From a far away place loved one seem as if they are down the hall. Going to school abroad? Web cams allow users to contact anyone just about anywhere through an Internet connection. This form of communication is one of the most popular forms to date for those long lost relatives or just a friend in the next state.

Push to Talk

This technology is most definitely borrowed from the past, but ingeniously placed into a network of users. Push to talk seems to be nothing other than a glorified walkie-talkie but it has put Nextel (bought out by Sprint) on the map as one of the four runners in cell phone technology, allowing the user to contact groups almost instantaneously.

Pagers

Although this isn’t one of the most up to date technological advances this device is still in demand and a very useful tool of communication. Pagers were the “Thing” to have in the nineties but medical personnel and government agencies still find pagers a vital instrument.

Fax Machines

Definition: A device that sends and receives printed pages or images over telephone lines by converting them to and from electronic signals.

A fax machine is used to send a hard copy of something from one place to another.

Many people have them in their homes, but they are more commonly used in the business place.

AIM

AIM is a great way to keep in touch with friends and family. All you have to do is sign in, and look at the screen to see which of your friends are currently online. You click on their name and hit "send message" and write what ever you please.

Its sort of like talking on the phone, except you type what you want to say to them instead of speak it.

It's a great way to communicate with others, especially if you are one of those people that do no enjoy talking on the phone.

Facebook

Facebook is a social-networking website. It is used to connect and interact with people. You can have as many friends as you'd like. You can message them, send them e-mails through facebook.

Not only can you send them messages, if you are logged on to facebook at the same time as your friends, you can send them something that is just like an instant message.

This website is a great way to keep in contact with others- I have caught up with all of my relatives that I hardly get to talk to otherwise. Its great, and I have no negative comments about it.

Cell Phone

To looking like this >

The first cell phones were big and clunky, and weighed around 2 lbs. You couldn't get much talk time on it before having to recharge it again. In 1984, people were lining up to buy this expensive cell phone. One of these could cost you up to nearly $4,000.

Today, the cell phone is much more inexpensive, and is much more useful. The charge can last for days, compared to a half an hour the old "brick" would last. Some things you can do with current cell phones:

You can surf the web, text people, take and download pictures, watch T.V, play games, use a calculator, keep a schedule, listen to music, search yellowpages, instant message, e-mail, have a gps, alarm clocks, and convert currency, length, volume. Cell phones today have basically no limit to them.