Last week in Web Publishing class we discussed convergence and how old media forms are coming together to form new media. An example of convergence, would be the ability of modern cell phones to take pictures and access the Internet.
Well, I found an article at cnn.com that directly relates to this idea of convergence. The article was about Comcast and how the company is promising faster Internet services.
When I think of the word Comcast, I think of cable because I currently resided in the dorms at Flagler College and the company provides my cable. Naturally, they would since they are the only cable provider in this area!
Anyways, Comcast is a major player in the media game and their constantly expanding their services. Specifically, the company is developing new technology that delivers up to 160 megabits of data per second for downloads. This is a major step up from the average 10 megabits per second offered by most cable companies.
In class, we discussed some of the reasons why convergence is happening so rapidly. One of those reasons was because information is a commodity, which can be brought and sold. That is exactly why Comcast is perfecting this new technology, so it can hopefully boost broadband sales, which have been slowing.
In addition to faster Internet, Comcast is also offering 1,000 high-definition movies through video on demand and pay per view services. Like we mentioned several times in class, TVs are about to switch over to high definition later this year, and they are governing themselves accordingly.
This relates to another idea we learned in class, digital divide. These developing technologies will help reduce the digital divide because almost everyone is switching over to HD, and those who are not are laggards or non-adapters according to the Diffusion of Innovation Model. Comcast really doesn’t care about these people who are out of the digital loop.
Besides the Internet and the HD movies, Comcast has a Fancast website, which has old and new TV shows and some movies for users’ convenience. As a result, Comcast has lots of power, because the control of information means more power. In other words, Comcast can advertise for its website on the TV and advertise for its TV services on the web.
As if all this is not enough, the company is introducing a new caller id service that pops up on computers and TVs of customers who purchase its cable, Internet, and phone package. Comcast is also working closely with Vtech to develop a cordless phone with a mini screen, so customers can check their email, weather forecast, sports data, and phone directory all on one device.
With so many companies like Comcast emerging it won’t be long before the computer and the TV are officially one and the same like we discussed in the last class!
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Blog Post # 1
I read this article tonight on the New York Times website titled The Coming Wave Of Gadgets That Listen and Obey. The piece talked about speech recognition technology and how different companies like Microsoft, AT&T, and Intel are competing to make better speech systems for phones, cars, and computers.
The article was really interesting to me because in Web Publishing class we discussed how technology and media are becoming more interactive and therefore more personalized. I mean users can pick and choose what content and applications they want and disregard the ones they don’t want. And now, users will be able to use their own voice more accurately to make these decisions!
Of course, we already have some speech technology with the navigation systems in some luxury cars. Then there are the annoying automated systems that handle most customer service calls for businesses. I know you love those, right. But according to the piece of writing that’s just the beginning. Companies are improving speech technology so it can recognize more realistic human voices. In other words, users won’t have to speak so plain like a robotic voice. The technology will be more accustom to the natural flow of the tongue during a conversation. Experts are also studying different accents and pronunciations to improve the speech technology for foreigners as well.
In the future, every cell phone, car, and computer will probably have the capability to recognize and respond to its user’s voice. I think it would be cool to say turn on and have your computer turn on, or say go to Myspace and have the computer bring up your profile page. I can even imagine getting in the car and saying your friends name and having your car remember the route to your friend’s house! It’s amazing how technology keeps out doing itself.
While I look forward to the future of speech technology, I wonder how many people would actually use the applications. I mean there are a lot of people who are intimidated by technology and they want things to be as simple as possible. Furthermore, I question how advanced speech technology will affect normal communication. For instance, if people driving cars can have a conversation with the interactive media in their vehicles, what will happen to the need for passengers as a source of entertainment? Think about it!
The article was really interesting to me because in Web Publishing class we discussed how technology and media are becoming more interactive and therefore more personalized. I mean users can pick and choose what content and applications they want and disregard the ones they don’t want. And now, users will be able to use their own voice more accurately to make these decisions!
Of course, we already have some speech technology with the navigation systems in some luxury cars. Then there are the annoying automated systems that handle most customer service calls for businesses. I know you love those, right. But according to the piece of writing that’s just the beginning. Companies are improving speech technology so it can recognize more realistic human voices. In other words, users won’t have to speak so plain like a robotic voice. The technology will be more accustom to the natural flow of the tongue during a conversation. Experts are also studying different accents and pronunciations to improve the speech technology for foreigners as well.
In the future, every cell phone, car, and computer will probably have the capability to recognize and respond to its user’s voice. I think it would be cool to say turn on and have your computer turn on, or say go to Myspace and have the computer bring up your profile page. I can even imagine getting in the car and saying your friends name and having your car remember the route to your friend’s house! It’s amazing how technology keeps out doing itself.
While I look forward to the future of speech technology, I wonder how many people would actually use the applications. I mean there are a lot of people who are intimidated by technology and they want things to be as simple as possible. Furthermore, I question how advanced speech technology will affect normal communication. For instance, if people driving cars can have a conversation with the interactive media in their vehicles, what will happen to the need for passengers as a source of entertainment? Think about it!
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