User:Sambritz

I am a student in CIS2. My interests are in gaming on the computer and raising my kids. I use Steam. So if you have a Steam account as well look me up BRIOTZ. Other than that I am a husband and a father of two awesome kids and one not so awesome. Just kidding, I only have two kids.

Introductions
Best Source Impact of Computers on our Society  (new Search) This is a good source because it touched on quite a few areas where technology has become a tool, whether good or bad. We tend to focus on the positive impact that technology has on our lives, but this article also highlights that it is not all good. Although we have been able to use technology as a way to make certain aspects of our lives easier, it is also important that we take into consideration the negative impact it could have.

Computers – How They Have Changed Our Lives (media List)

This article was easy to read and provided information about computers and a brief description of current trends. This is important information as we have to be aware of history in order to understand what the future may hold.

10 Lists to Keep If You Want to Be Successful (new Search)

This article is useful as everyone is always interested in learning techniques to succeed. The information was presented in an easy to read manner and would appeal to many readers.

Privacy and Freedom of Speech
Give Me Back My Online Privacy (new search)

Although everyone loves the use of technology it has opened us up for new security threats. By posting innocent things like where we are having dinner or our favorite hobby we are letting stranger into our lives unknowingly.

Best Source  The Fourth Amendment and New Technologies (new search)

This article goes through how the Fourth Amendment has been applied through the development of technology. It cites several different cases where new technology was used to listen in on, see heat signatures, and global positioning satellite and the different rulings. The advance of technology has changed how the Fourth Amendment was applied. Judges focused more on property rights before all the advances in technology and now they focusing on a person’s privacy. Our existing laws and regulations are struggling to keep up with the constant changing technology advancements.

Best Source Does Private Strong Encryption Pose a Threat to Society? (new search)

This is an awesome article for someone who is unfamiliar about encryption. It goes over what encryption is and two different viewpoints of it. It also talks about how the courts have ruled that computer code is protected under the First Amendment, Freedom of Speech. There are also references on how it also infringes on our Fourth and Fifth Amendment. This is a topic that is being battled over with private companies and the United States Federal Government. It will be interesting seeing where it all ends.

Intellectual Property
How Media Literacy Helps Us Understand Our Changing World (new search)

This article is about educating students on the different social medias out there and how to use it to their benefit. It goes over “2 roles we play in having media literacy.” The two roles are Listen and Leverage. “Listen - one who observes media and absorbs its contents. Leverage - one who actively uses media at their own disposal for their own presentation of information.” By using media, it is a give and take relationship. While we are always learning new information, posts that we make also help to feed this relationship.

Best Source MLA Formatting and Style Guide' (' new search)

This is a great resource because it instructs how to do citations and gives examples as well. For a person who has never done citations it was easy to explain.

The War on Internet Piracy (new search)

“Piracy is the illegal copying, distribution, or use of software.” (Rosalind Blanchard. Definition Piracy. Whatis.com. September 2005, 06 July 2016.) It is a huge problem for entertainment industry. “Millions of times each week, Web companies are trying to keep pace with Disney films uploaded on YouTube, digital music that pops up repeatedly online or snippets of Wall Street research notes posted on Twitter.” (Rani Molla, Shira Ovide. The War on Internet Piracy. Bloomberg.com, 23 March 2016. 06 July 2016.) Social media plays a big role in Piracy however, when big companies prevent people from viewing, distributing, and selling their media illegally, people are constantly inventing ways around it.

Crime
The 4-Minute Tim Ferriss: Learning to Meta-Learn at SXSW (media list)

This article is about Tim Ferriss and his struggle to sell his book because his publisher was Amazon Publishing. Now almost all brick and mortar stores hate Amazon. The same goes double for book stores. Amazon has put a lot of bookstores out of business. Tim used a process he developed in a book. I never thought of in reverse motivation. I usually use positive rewards when I accomplish my goal. A punishment for failing instead of a reward for succeeding could be a better self-motivator.

Best Source Report Identity Theft and get a Recovery Plan  (new search)

Everyone can benefit from this guide when your identity has been compromised. It has a step by step list of what to do, who to call, and what forms to fill out. Also has printable checklists.

[https://www.wired.com/2015/10/terrell-mcsweeny-white-hat-car-hacking-makes-cars-safer/ '''HACKERS&#x20;MAKE&#x20;CARS&#x20;SAFER.&#x20;DON'T&#x20;BAN&#x20;THEM&#x20;FROM&#x20;TINKERING HACKERS MAKE CARS SAFER. DON'T BAN THEM FROM TINKERING'''] (new search)

This article shows the benefits of white hat hackers. White hat hackers help many companies find security flaws in their products that can be taken advantaged by black hate hackers. Although the word ‘hacker’ usually has a negative connotation, this article goes to show that sometimes ‘evil’ is necessary for ‘good’.

Employment, Education and Entertainment
For Dyslexic and Visually Impaired Students, a Free High-Tech Solution (new search)

For people who cannot read because they have a vision impairment or have severe dyslexia, there is a company, BookShare.org, that provides an audio and braille file so that they are able to read/listen to it. BookShare also has deals with some news print outlets to allow their articles to be available on their site to people with dyslexia or vision impairment. This is a good resource for those who suffer from dyslexia.

Get Off Your Butt: 7 Motivational Strategies to Improve Work Ethic (media List)

Standard list of techniques to help get yourself motivated. Step 4 “Break it down” is good advice for anyone who is doing a project.

Best Source Four Tools to Support Creativity and Innovation  (new search)

This article goes against what old school traditional companies have been doing for years. It gives an example of a startup and was started in a Quonset hut and how much more productive they were because of the building they were in. Employees weren’t just working close together, but also had camaraderie. It also talks about how the little things such as everyone getting their coffee all from one place can get people socializing and getting collectively working together towards a common problem.

Mid Term Project - Grand Challenges
Best Source Demystifying Nanocrystal Solar Cells

Creating a more efficient solar panel with nanotechnology is truly amazing. ETH researchers are now able to select the size of the nanocrystal so that maximum efficiency can be achieved. Being able to produce power cheaper that fossil fuels is driving the need for greater efficiency.

New Energy Cell can Store up Solar Energy for Release at Night

This is an environmental way to either store the sun’s energy gathered or produce electricity. The actual energy that is being produced is in the form of hydrogen gas. The process that is used to turn the sun’s energy into hydrogen gas is photosynthesis. Something that has been around since the beginning of time.

New Efficiency Record for Solar Hydrogen Production is 14 Percent

The old standing record of 12.4% efficiency has been broken by a team of international researchers. The more efficient the production of solar power gets, the cheaper it will cost to produce per kilowatt. Once it becomes cheaper to produce that fossil fuels, it will significantly decrease our dependence on oil.

Evaluating and Controlling Technology
Workplace Collaboration: Mission-Critical or Just An Ideal? (new search)

This article talks about the difference between working together for the sake of doing so and working together for a common goal with energy and respect for one another, collaboration. You cannot get people to collaborate by telling them to do so. This article makes reference to Harvard Business Review about a “secret sauce” to collaboration. An IT Strategy and Change Management consultant, Chris Jones’ recipe for collaboration is engagement, authenticity, respect, positivity, and focus.

Best Source Codecademy' '(new search)

Many self-paced interactive programming language courses for free! I have started Python, but there are many Web Developer Skills and many Language Skills. This is my favorite site in the whole course. I will be finishing Python course before Fall quarter.

Reddit (new search)

Most of you are familiar with Reddit. What I love about it is the sub Reddit “DIY” where everyday people show you what projects they have done and give you step by step instructions how to do it. Sometimes there are links to videos on Youtube as well which is very helpful.

Risks, Failures and Responsibilities
I searched around and found Code Studio from Code.org. It has basic courses for ages 4-6 and more advance courses from ages 6-18. I had my 7-year-old son start course 1 and he loved it. It seemed more like a game than a course. Code.org is a non-profit that has been increasing participation of woman and underrepresented students of color. They believe that computer science should be part of the core curriculum. Will be coming back to Code Studio and seeing if my son is interested with coding and if he is interested in more advance coding we will go to Code.org and Codecademy.

Best Source Official: Hacked Federal Agency has History of Security Failures (media list)

This is a very important article for everyone. A hacker group got information on millions of, past, present, and future federal employees (future employees meaning applicants that submitted a Security Clearance application and do not have a federal job yet), enough information to do more than just steal their identity. It is a reminder on how incompetent the government can be as well as how important security updates are!

Are Smartphones Replacing Human Memory? (new search)

This article gives examples of smartphone dependency. We have been using our smartphones for tasks we used to use our brain for and when our smartphone doesn't work, some of us are helpless.

Anytime, Anywhere
4 Pros and 4 Cons of MOOCs: Whether To Take Study From Classroom To Online (New Search)

MOOCs provides a wide range of education courses without any cost to the student. These courses allow, the student, the flexibility to take the courses in his/her time with a very easy sign up process. However, the courses that are offered a simplified version of a class that would be found at a traditional college class.

Is the Obesity Crisis Hiding a Bigger Problem? (Media List)

This Ted Talk is about obesity and how it might not be caused by eating too much and not exercising. Dr. Peter Attia says most researchers believe obesity is the cause of insulin resistance, but he suggests that “what if the obesity isn’t the cause of the insulin resistance and a symptom of a much deeper problem?” Because you have obese people who don’t have insulin resistance and “lean” people how are insulin resistant he suggests “obesity may just be a proxy for what’s going on.”

Best Source First Step Korean

This is a very basic elementary course to learn Korean.There are other elementary courses however; they are for people who are already familiar with the Korean alphabet.

Technology Advances, Social Trends
Mind Control Robotic Arm (Media List)

An awesome link to Leela Pakanati instructables page where he is creating an affordable mind controlled prosthetic arm. This is something that can get veterans that have lost a limb because of war whole again. What he has done so far has cost him under $500 to create. I looked up how much a prosthetic arm with no function, just for looks, would cost, and it is a little less than $5,000. If you want an neuroprosthetic arm it can cost as much as $100,000 (McGimpsey, Grant, and Terry C. Bradford. "Prosthetics and Orthotics." (n.d.): n. pag. National Institute of Standards and Technology. 02 Aug. 2011. Web. 27 July 2016. http://www.nist.gov/ ).''

These 5 Facts Explain How Technology Is Shaping Our World (new search)

As a society we all rely heavily on technology, but I don't think that we take the time to stop and understand the scope of how it affects every aspect of our lives. Technology is constantly evolving as a result; affects our economy, living conditions, health, education and so much more. The quantitative information is used to support the claims made in the article. However, when using statistics, it is important to understand the raw data that was used for the calculations. A person could, if necessary, create a statistic in order to support a claim by omitting or adding a sector of business or by using certain time frames to create a statistic that looks like it supports a claim.

Best Source AMAZING TRANSLATION DEVICE IS A REAL LIFE BABEL FISH

WaverlyLabs has created a device called Pilot. This is a device that could break the barriers of language throughout the world. No one person will need to learn all languages or even a little bit when they travel. You still need to learn about the culture of the location you are traveling to, just not the language.