What an efficient and unique way to use computers. Virtualization is an abstract concept that uses one host computer to run multiple computers on that same computer, but each virtual computer views itself as a separate entity. It thinks it's physical therefore it can run it's own apps and operating systems. That is so neat. To use abstraction of computers, their full capacity, instead of limiting the power of a computer to some physical piece of "gear" (as mentioned in the lectures.)
Businesses can use virtualization to cut down on cost, portability, faster times, etc. It's obviously the better choice to use for businesses that need more room, faster speed and flexibility in large businesses. Virtualization seems like a concept made specifically for business, and I could also see it coming to use in the scientific and mathematical world.
This Website breaks down virtualization. Why you should use it, the benefits (featuring snapshots), the challenges, hardware used and the much appreciated humor. Businesses can benefit from this site along with learning and implementing virtualization. It would improve their work space which computes to an increased profit.
I actually liked this project. It was a little difficult due to the fact that the step-by-step instructions were for PC users, but I was grateful for the conversion of commands listed in the discussion by the professor. It was really neat to send encrypted messages, use keys and secure the e-mail from everyone else. Sort of spy-ish!
It's very useful in a business to keep records confidential. Secure information so it is not leaked. In searching for an article I came across a press release about a company in Brazil that decided to use secure e-mail for exchanging documents within the Board because information had been leaked that could have affected their stock value.
However, the article that I chose was about Germany. The article posted on The Wall Street Journal on Nov. 17, 2010 and on Big News Now, which summarizes it, because WSJ online is a subscription service, says that Germany moved their national postage mail to secure email. A person still has to pay for each letter being delivered through secure email by Deutche Post, but they can pay a flat rate of $87 per year. Germans are climbing on board with about 1 million already signed up. About 100 companies have signed up for the service as well. I assume that secure mail has the feature of encryption and digitally signed e-mails, but it did not say so in Big News Now. It could have in the WSJ.
I think that this is fascinating with a whole country moving to email for regular mail. It uses less trees, is probably more secure for people and it is moving the country/ businesses forward in this "digital age."
Security for your computer is like taking care of your home or family. Essentially it is taking care of yourself. You send and receive so much information through your computer, such as e-mail, documents, the Web sites you go on and the passwords you store. The risks of identity theft, hacking, viruses, worms (programs that do not require humans to copy themselves and which take up your computers resources), wireless interception with faulty wifi networks are serious to the safety of your information and your personal life. Protect yourself by:
Getting a firewall
Change the default settings on your wireless network
Don't jump on anyone's network because it is open
Password protect your data (maybe use 1password to store it all)
encrypt emails to ensure documents are safe
Be aware that your information and hardware can be hacked, stolen
Most businesses thrive on computers. Their budgets, supplier lists, payroll, government documents, fiscal year reports, customer identifications, etc. are all listed within their databases. It is crucial for businesses to take precautions to ensure that their company is not at risk for being hacked and their customers information is safe. If the customers find out that their info is being freely handed out to call lists or other sources, the companies credibility and business will decrease. People value privacy above all in their lives. It is in the company's best interest to understand security risks and deal with them efficiently and effectively.
This Brazilian company had information leaked when sending emails to its board members. Although it didn't directly effect their market stock value, they realized how important it was that information stay within their board members and company. So, they started to use a secure email service to ensure privacy and that their information stays safe. This is a link to the article.
The overall concept of a system makes sense. But I will have to review each video lecture to understand the smaller components. I liked that the lectures were broken down into steps:
Planning and Analysis
Analysis and Design - I would say this is where things got a little muddy. Including process modeling, object modeling and deliverables.
Implementation
What made sense the most was the system analyst interview. It was interesting to see this "in the real world" sense. She basically demonstrated how all of this applies to the business world. How juggling projects, managing people, knowing their needs, meeting deadlines and making it all flow together is feasible and needed as a system analyst. Information systems development is important because it helps businesses run. System analysts can create a tool specifically for the business to function properly or an event, like the SEC event that the interviewed analyst mentioned.
This web site uses a table to clear deliverables up for me: copied below
Systems Analysis Phase
System Design Phase
Work performed by/ deliverables written by
Systems Analyst
Chief programmer (or Software architect or Lead developer)
Deliverables
System Specification: everything about what the proposed system will do, nothing about how it is to be be built
System Architecture: platform choice, database design, program design, user interface design, etc.
Audiences who read, understand, and accept the deliverables
1. Sponsoring users 2. Chief programmer (or Software Architect or Lead developer
I learned how a database functions at the basic levels. It's like a web of information intertwining at all types of different levels and different ways.
I learned the basics of 4 functions: Tables, Forms, Queries and Reports.
It was hard to do the query actually because the data provided in the file we were supposed to use did not match the initial table we used, therefore a lot of modifying had to happen. I eventually just cut out some parts of the address because the instructions said edit it to your table. I figured for this project it was not a big deal, but for a business the full US postal address would be essential. I'm glad I learned how to deal with Access on a basic level. It helps in understanding businesses that you know have databases. Conceptually it is very useful. Forms and reports concentrate more on the design aspect while table and queries have raw, specific data. They both intertwine to enhance customer service and profits of companies. It's a neat and useful tool.
Enhancing the functionality of the database:
I think this database could be broken down better. Maybe two different tables for Family and Individual. These could have different categories that are catered to family or individual. If they have kids that go to a day care center at the gym or if the individual works out longer. You could also run different queries comparing the family and individual to see which category is more likely to stay longer as a member. I think there are many options to enhance the functionality of this database because the information doesn't necessarily flow together and it could have other categories in it. However, I do think it was simple enough for this project's purpose.
It's prretty difficult the first go-around for a new program. Especially if you have never worked with databases or anything even like that. The concepts were pretty easy to understand, but I think this video puts it in plain English. In the lecture, the program was not put in the simplest language possible.
In business, it's important to fully understand a program. Or at least what you need to do on that program. Software like Photoshop is so vast that most users only use about 1% of it. I am guessing Access is similar. It seems complex, but once you start making reports, forms and relating tables together, I'm sure it get's easier.
About.com has a plethora of tutorials to choose from and walks you step-by-step. Tutorialized.com has many tutorials that actually refer you back to YouTube videos but does not navigate you away from the page. Finally, on Functionx.com there is an extensive list on the left side that brings you to a great text and graphic breakdown of table, forms and everything in between.
Self critique: I set up my project so it would flow logically from one topic (photos, video, etc.) to the other smoothly. I took a couple slides at the beginning to prepare y audience for what was ahead. I didn't do a voice over, which was a big flaw in the presentation. I should have done one because some of the bullet points (which are pretty clear) could sometimes use an explanation or I could enhance my overall presentation with some more info. I didn't ask the audience questions because it was more of a straight-forward thing. These are my skills..one, two and three. I tried to grab my audiences attention with some slides, music and compelling photos. I hope it worked! I also tried to avoid clutter with big photos, big text and simple layouts.
Another critique: The presentation I critiqued didn't really help me. It showed very little of what I could have improved on unfortunately. It's great to see someone show you a new way to do something or a cool idea for a presentation, but I didn't see this.
What I learned: I learned a little more Powerpoint. One of the most useful things I learned was organization. I organized before I started the project and it really paid off. It's so easy when you create a storyboard. It's just like fitting the pieces of the puzzle together once you have grouped them together. I think sharing presentations online is completely easy because it is easilya ccessible for future employers. It is also easier to share with colleagues and use really neat tools to share information, which is what we do in today's world. I will definitely share my presentations online from now on, because e-mailing it is too big and takes too long. In the clouds, it's more efficient.
So, this is me in fake reality! I thought it was kind of fun making this Avatar. I mean you can get it pretty accurate. There were limitations though with the accessories you could use and the clothes you could wear, but overall it was an interesting experience. I had never done something like this before except play a couple of SIM games back in the day. Also, if you wanted to "share" it without a screen grab, you had to sign up with the service, which is no fun. And I didn't sign up. But I did enjoy the exercise.
The Internet is pretty much straight forward for the average college-age person. We have been using programs since we were in elementary and middle school. Namely instant messenger and games like the Oregon Trail. So, when Google brought the world wide web to our feet, and social networking connected every youth, the Internet was just another tool that could easily be figured out. Therefore, we have used the Internet for various research papers, social networking, projects, entertainment, etc for years, so most people know what it is.
However, it is refreshing to find out background facts about the Internet like the structure of the Internet (the inner core, outer periphery and mantle) while understanding fully our precious Wifi (commonly mistaken as wireless fidelity) we need to work as we sip our mediocre lattes at Starbucks and call each other hi-tech.
Keep it relevant to the audience -they are the priority
Use big text and good graphics (not clip art, and not teeny pics)
Have your signal (the message) louder than the noise (the graphics or add-ins)
Do not drone on, keep your audience engaged.
Keep design principles in mind (e.g. white space)
For business effective presentations help:
To sell a product
Gain a partner
Pitch an idea, sales plan or campaign to the big bosses
Expand the company effectively and efficiently
It may engage the company in growth for a fiscal presentation
Presentations are used in business constantly. It is a form of communication of ideas and information. The key is to be effective and engaging. A person needs to be effective ( sell the product) and efficient( a great presentation). One is the means and one is the end. Both are needed! Presentations are a tool to seal the deal or to communicate with the company. Do not be a drone!
So this is what it's like to work with Excel. I never knew how simple and organized life could really get. Excel is a software that has many functions to keep your life and business running smoothly especially since it is mathematically organized when most of us are not. In these past couple of weeks I have made my first Excel workbook/spreadsheets on a fake set of data that dealt with a 15-minute workout, 5-minute cooldown of 500 subjects while measuring their heartrate throughout at consistent intervals. Below I'll mention some of the interesting things I accomplished (And so can you!) in Excel and the general gist of what I did.
Above I described the raw data that was given to me. Your raw data could be anything. Like different crime statistics listed by every university in the country. As a journalist you want to analyze that data for a story. For my analysis, I did a couple summary functions to determine the target heart rate for the subjects involved, then moved from there figuring out the target percent that each subject should achieve and if they achieved it or not. All of this deal with formulas. Formulas are the staple of Excel. They make life easier if you know how to use them. I learned how to precisely get my data by selecting the rows and columns I wanted analyzed, typing in the formula and applying it to the rest of the row through the relative function excel has. I think the hardest part was coming up with the formulas. You really have to think logically before you start to type =(blah,blah, blah) as a formula. Once you have the formula you are set to go. What also helped me was the actual Help box that Excel has plugged in. It gives you steps on how to do things when you get stuck. It is better than some of the advice on the web.
The next part was the data analysis. Actual comparison of the data. This is where pivot tables shine. I made two tables. One where it showed the target heart rate achieved for men, women and all subjects together. The other determined by age and gender demographics if the workout was effective through the increase in heart rate. I think creating the pivot table was the most difficult process throughout this project. You not only have to plug in the numbers, but you also have to switch them around within the table to determine your data. You have to find out the answers instead of plugging in a formula (function) and having excel spit it out for you. A screen capture of the second pivot table is listed below.
Making things look good is extremely important. Especially in today's world people respond to visual stimulus. Therefore, making a "pretty" spreadsheet is important. I highlighted important aspects of the sheet, bolded headlines and outlined things. It is just a matter of making your book look professional if someone else is going to be looking at the data with a fresh pair of eyes and want the basics fast. Why? Because time is money and productivity can stem from clean, clear cut data. So, make it pretty and professional!
All of the concepts presented this week in lecture were clear. I am a multimedia journalist. Let's face it, every journalist today must be, or will be in the future. Especially the photographers. I am photojournalist first and foremost, however, I have to be adept at videography, audio and putting journalistic multimedia packages together for the Web. The College of Journalism and Communications just recently just opened its multimedia portal for students called CMIR.
I normally upload my photographs in iPhoto, however I want to get Aperture and I have heard great reviews on Adobe Bridge as well. So, I may switch over. I edit in Adobe Photoshop, which you can buy as a student and get the student discount. The format I mainly use is jpg. Even though it is a lossy format, which compresses the image and loses a little bit of data every time, it is still the standard format in the photojournalistic world. For audio Audacity is a great, free software program. I have used it many times to edit audio for slideshows, to make recordings and to produce some great audio for my multimedia projects.
In video I am the least proficient, so it was interesting to learn about the inter-frame compression. This is a lossy format that transfers only the moving data from frame to frame. It is quite efficient because it does not transfer that static pixels. If there is a stationary object, and someone jumping around. The pixels are not moving around the stationary object so they are not transferred but the jumper is. It is called macroblocked. Only one block of moving data is transmitted. This helps in sending compressed videos. Also, the standard now is to save your videos with the H.264 format so that it can be viewed more easily on mobile devices. Let's face it, we are a mobile world and businesses are mobile as well. So, you must cater to clients and partners who want to view your videos with ease.
Businesses rely on multimedia heavily. If it is only a slideshow on their web site or a commercial slot in the SuperBowl multimedia represents a company in today's world. It shows who they are, it can demonstrate a product, aid in a presentation, land that giant client or allow them to expand their markets. The journalistic world relies on multimedia now more than ever. Our world is compressed just like the photos, video and audio because of the way we share things through multimedia. Think if the news didn't use multimedia. We would still be sitting down every morning to go through the print newspaper. Multimedia enhances our productivity and allows us to reach across the globe.
The Video above demonstrates what multimedia is. You have probably already watched it, but I thought it was useful to demonstrate all the amazing things that can come out of just photos, video and audio.
A function in Excel is a mathematical formula that quantifies large groups of numbers or whatever are in the cells (could be text). The function can be modified relatively or absolutely for the other cells giving the person control of their data. Functions range from basic count functions, date functions, to stats and financial functions.
The functions allows the business person to come to conclusions about the mass of data that is laid out in the spreadsheet. Depending on the function the businesswoman/man can achieve their goals of the quarter, for sales, for pleasing the customer through statistics, or just keeping a firm grasp on where they are at financially so she or he knows when to invest and when to wait out a recession let's say.
The functions in Excel allows business people to function optimally in their environments. It provides essential and interesting data if you take the time to learn how to use them.
The concept I found the most interesting and clear was web-based software. Yes, everyone uses packaged software and some of it is discounted for students, but realistically more often than not it is bootlegged. For example, Adobe Creative Suite encompasses InDesign, Photoshop, Dreamweaver, Flash, etc. These are applications that most students from the College of Journalism use constantly, therefore for the their own comfort they transfer it onto their computer from another and essentially break the EULA agreement (recently some people are having a difficult time with Rosetta interacting with the bootlegged copies because they have updated their computer). It happens all the time, especially because Adobe is constantly updating itself once every year or two years if not sooner.
So, I think that web-based software applications are more accessible for businesses and students. Especially students graduate and decide to start their own businesses. They can no longer get away with using a fake serial number to boot up the software, therefore, in the cloud services allows them to take things global, manage it from anywhere, cut out the cost of systems of engineers and run successfully globally.
Here is a linkthat describes "the clouds" business. The media has used the phrase so often it has become a household description of what web-based software is that has info on remote servers.
One of the most interesting things about this week was the parts of the computer section in the personal computer videos. Personally, I focused on software in all my computer life rather than the hardware behind it. The Central Processing Unit was the most interesting part I think in it's capabilities and functioning speed.
The CPU is the "computer's brain," but computers can have GPUs, Graphics Processing Unit, so it is not the one and only. The CPU performs computations based on clock speed. Clock speed is a signal that beats on a regular basis, like your heart. The clock speed can be a repetitive signal a billion times a second. And if you increase the clock speed on the computer then you can increase the amount of work that gets done. The CPU can have different processing cores such as dual, quad or Intel's turbo boost all on the same chip. So, multiple units on one core chip. Compare CPUs in a chart updated daily!
The CPU has a little space on the chip to house a cache, which is ultra fast memory, ready to use at any moment by the computer when it encounters frequently used memory or information. So, less time for you to wait on the CPU and the constant clock. The CPU is like a clock, it has multiple parts that all synchronize together to maintain a machine for a person to utilize.
Let's get down to business: In the business world, time is money. Both are valuable. Therefore choosing the right computers for your business or the business you work for is extremely important. You can improve productivity while reducing the time it takes, and therefore cost. Choosing the right CPU to fit the businesses needs is important. You have to weigh increased speed vs. the heat it gives off and how many cores will get the job done for the business. Computers are an asset that all businesses use and need. It is important to understand them and utilize them correctly to maximize profit.
Video - This video describes how to fix your Xbox via the GPU and CPU. Xboxes are computers also, and some people may use them for their businesses. Gamers can make profit and depend on their systems to work properly. So enjoy!
protected under the creative commons license with some restrictions
Copyright
It sounds daunting and should b bolded in red, however it is a simple concept to grasp. The laws surrounding it can be complex, but copyright in itself is the protection of the author and his or her work. U.S. copyright laws protect most forms of creative expression. Meaning books, music, photographs, video, etc. are all protected under a copyright. In order to use someone else's work you must get permission in writing, be the owner flat out or get it in a public domain. Take Flickr, a photo database online, for example, it has several copyright restriction categories. Some are public domain and can be used by everyone. But some photographs cannot be manipulated and some photographer require an attributed link if their work is shown. For artists and owners of creative expression copyright is the only thing that validates their work in the legal realm. It is a respect for their intellectual property to follow the copyright laws and use their work accordingly.
Business purposes:
Copyright is extremely important in business to protect their product or the products of others. Also, because of one employees mistake the business owner does not want to get sued for copyright infringement. In order to profit from a business, the product has to be protected. One of those ways is making sure copyright infringement does not take place. Business thrives off of creative expression and incentive and strict copyright laws gives way to both of these things.
Try This:
This is a website that shows you how to embed the copyright symbol in your images, graphics, etc. So when someone decides not to follow these rules, still protect your creative expressions!
