Nature's Expense

Some of the things discussed in Mantech were the pros and cons of living in a paperless society. This meant that currency would be in the form of debit cards, similar to what is used for public utility in some countries such as Singapore. Such a society remains to be a school of thought for several reasons. One factor as to why society refuses to adapt such changes in technology is complacency to traditional means. People who are accustomed to existing technology tend to doubt feasibility of such concepts, and rather fear drastic changes.

Technology in general has been this way since time began. People have always been afraid of change. As technology continues to evolve, we all go through a process of adaptation which may take years, if not decades. One of the primary casualties in technological evolution is nature itself. When a newer, more efficient form of existing technology surfaces, it may be good or bad for nature. Nowadays, the world is beginning to become more conscious of the environment, and most advances in technology sway towards nature's side. However, due to the many factors such as cost-effectiveness and the adaptation process, these advances are ignored and outweighed by the cheaper and more familiar yet less environment friendly solutions. This problem is evident in concerns over alternative fuels. One example as well is the concept of a paperless society mentioned earlier. With documents, presentations, cash, and records all transformed into soft copies, millions of tress will be spared. Although there are disadvantages, an advantage for nature is an advantage for all.

5th Paper: The Millennium Bug

The year 2000 brought about one of the largest concerns in IT history. The Y2K problem was the result of old computer programming practices which prevented systems from working properly at precisely January 1, 2000 and the following dates. Since only the last two significant digits were considered in computer systems, it was believed that the year 2000 or 00 would be interpreted as the year 1900. The looming threat caused widespread panic among several nations, and caused several billion dollars worth of preparation. Although there were no significant computer failures that new years’ day, it is questionable that this was a result of the preparations made, or that it was just a hoax.

This programming practice responsible for the Y2K threat started during the early years of computing when memory was expensive and data processing was in the form of punch cards. Because of the limitations at the time, saving up to 2 digits per date was significant though disregarding future programming bugs. Apparently, the money saved in minimizing memory would be spent in preparing for an impending disaster, which was said to have reached 300 million US Dollars.

As the year 1999 was approaching, several businesses started making software systems “Y2K compliant”, which proved to have many long term benefits. Although there was a real threat, it was often misunderstood and blown out of proportion. A lot of people imagined an Armageddon when computer systems started going haywire, and some even imagined a time of darkness once the clocks ticked midnight of January 1, 2000. Several incidents were also reported of people stocking up on food and supplies in supermarkets all over America, among other countries. One main benefit though from the preparation for Y2K is the more conscious practice of backing up databases. Since redundant networks have been created, systems are now less susceptible to failures and crashes. The effects of the Millennium bug were totally misinterpreted. Although records and databases would have problems with date processing, utilities and manual processes did not rely on computer systems. Before the year 2000, many companies relied on computer systems but not all processes were dependent on system dates. This means that the world would not be on a standstill because of date processing, but it was a problem that could have been solved with less exasperation.

Some people viewed the date to be a time bomb set for complete computer system failure. Until today, it is obvious what the misinformed public is capable of. Anything misunderstood can be blown out of proportion once digested by society. At the time, what did it actually mean to be Y2K compliant? This demands that the programs should require a century indicator on all dates that it receives and produces, leap years will be determined correctly, all hard-coding in century fields and date fields has been removed or prohibited, and that applications that interface with other applications or that import or export dates do not alter the date settings of other software. Knowing this, good programming practices from the start would have gone a long way although costing a lot more.

Once the new millennium arrived, there were very few reports of system failures. Since minor failures are common in every computer system, most minor errors were dismissed. Efforts by large companies were rewarded, but there are still speculations if these efforts were really necessary. What would have happened if the Y2K problem was ignored?Some may believe that nothing serious would have happened because the dates, but taking certain precautions is never a bad thing. In my opinion, much more might have been spent if the threat was allowed to unfold. Lack of foresight was the main problem in computer systems, and any system for that matter.

4th Paper: Sony PS3 VS Microsoft Xbox 360 VS Nintendo Wii

Ever since gaming consoles became popular, there has always been a rivalry between leading developers. Although the best gaming consoles in the market today came a long way from their predecessors, there is a solid competition between the Sony Playstation 3, the Microsoft Xbox 360 and the Nintendo Wii. Each having unique features that the other lacks, it is hard for consumers to decide which one is the best. In purchasing practically any gadget, one must consider its features, performance, value for money, and aesthetics.

The ever popular Playstation has been around and evolving since 1994, when it first came out of Sony factories in Japan. Although continuously changing in physique and power, the Playstation has maintained its name which has both become reputable and a formidable competition. Since the first generation of Playstations, the smaller PSOne followed, the Playstation 2, a rather slimmer version of the Playstation 2, then the Playstation 3. Since then the name has sold over 100 million units worldwide.

The PS3 comes in 20, 40, 60, and 80 GB models, each including one or two controllers, a USB cable, an audio/video out cable, an Ethernet cable, and a power cable. The 60 and 80 GB models have built in Wifi and multiple card readers, therefore only different in hard drive size. The Playstation 3 features a slot-loading 2x speed Blu-Ray disc drive for games and movies, boasting excellent graphics up to 1080 vertical lines of resolution in full HD. All PS3 models have an upgradeable SATA 2.5” hard drive, an IBM designed CPU, and an NVIDIA graphics processor. It has 256 MB main memory and 256 MB DDR3 memory for its graphics processor. The Playstation 3, like its predecessors has a number of accessories to enhance game play or to increase functionality, such as a compatible camera. Sony still maintains its top notch game titles such as Gran Turismo, Metal Gear, and Ridge Racer, and popular sports titles, but loses some other good titles to Microsoft, possible due to the more expensive Blu-Ray technology. The Playstation 3 retails for about 500 USD with games at around 80 USD, rather expensive compared to the competition.

Microsoft’s Xbox 360, retailing for about 350 to 400 USD is showing just as much potential as the Playstation 3. The Xbox 360 comes in either 20GB, 120GB, or Arcade versions which have no internal memory. Microsoft provides Xbox Live support, which is an online gaming service for an annual cost. Inside the Xbox is an IBM designed triple core xenon CPU, and an ATI Xenos graphics processing unit with 512 MB of memory partnered with 512 MB of main memory. As with other consoles, there are also a number of accessories available for the Xbox 360 for a personal touch.

Performance-wise, the Xbox 360 does really well with graphics, almost at par with the Playstation 3. Although several bugs and hardware failures became an issue during its early years of deployment, Microsoft has provided several upgrades to the console as a remedy. The Xbox 360 supports several of the best game titles, even games available for the PS3, but at a cheaper price (40 to 60 USD). The Microsoft Xbox 360 has proven that it is well worth its value.
Nintendo, which has catered more on family gaming over the past years, released its latest gaming console in 2005, called the Nintendo Wii. Though its predecessors have not been much of a success for Nintendo, the future of the Wii looks promising. The Wii’s most unique feature is its controller, which uses a combination of accelerometers and infrared detectors to sense its position in 3D space. This allows gamers to use various physical gestures in game in addition to regular controller buttons. The controller comes with the “Nunchuk” unit, which features an accelerometer, an analog stick, and two trigger buttons. This feature allows a gaming experience that cannot be found in any other gaming console ever made.

The Nintendo Wii’s main drawback would be its graphics engine, which is only equivalent to the Sony PS3’s predecessor, the Playstation 2. The Wii is powered by a 729 MHz CPU, and an ATI made Graphics Processing Unit, which is said to be clocked at 243 MHz. It has a total of 88 MB main memory, and 3 MB internal GPU texture memory. The Wii allows for up to 2 GB of external storage via memory card, and comes with a built in 512 MB flash memory. Although 16:9 widescreen mode is available for the Nintendo Wii, its resolution is only half of that of the PS3. Nintendo offers several peripherals for the Wii, including a sports pack with various attachments such as a tennis racket, golf club, and racing wheel. However, due to its unique design, the number of accessories is rather limited, and basically revolves around the controller. The Nintendo Wii could connect to the internet using built in Wifi or Ethernet adapter, just like the Xbox 360 and PS3. Games available for the Nintendo Wii are relatively limited as compared its competition from Sony and Microsoft, many of which are for a much younger audience. The Nintendo Wii sells for about 300 USD with games retailing for about 50 USD or less.

Given the different features and specifications, the Microsoft Xbox 360 seems to have a notch over its competition, based on its performance over value ratio. However, the PS3 and Wii do not fall short in the performance and features categories. The PS3 still provides the best overall graphics performance and game play but comes with a rather hefty price tag. The Nintendo Wii on the other hand, grants users a unique gaming experience at a much cheaper price, but does entirely capture gamers’ attentions.

When comparing game play between the 3 consoles, the PS3 has the most striking screens, followed by the Xbox 360. The Nintendo Wii has rather disappointing graphics which matches its games in the maturity level. Not considering software piracy in the Philippines, it would still be great to purchase the Playstation 3 if it falls within financial capacity. However, when considering a tighter budget, the Xbox 360 would be the way to go. Sadly, most gamers in the Philippines consider the much cheaper prices of pirated DVD games for the Xbox 360 and Wii, which are not yet available for the PS3 and would come in very expensive Blu-Ray discs.Personally, the games solely available for the Playstation 3 are enough reason to own one. However, the number of Xbox 360 games available still manages to entice more users. In conclusion, it is safe to say that purchasing one of the consoles is a matter of personal preference. If you want affordable yet friendlier family fun, then the Wii would be most ideal. The Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 cater to a more mature audience, differing in both price and overall performance, which are rather proportional in my opinion.

3rd Paper: Access Nation

In this episode of Law & Order, several truths and fallacies about the world of computing are challenged. The existence of the internet gave birth to online profiles and information banks which in turn has stirred up quite a lot of privacy issues over the past decade. Both the television and the wide screen have shown us that almost anything is possible if only you have the means. Naturally, people tend to believe what they see especially if it is not so common and difficult to understand. Because of this, many facts are exaggerated to an extent that it is still believable and hard to distinguish from myths.

In the story Access Nation, the so-called company sells information which is already available in the web by whatever means. In the real world, knowledgeable people would exploit loopholes in security to obtain information that should not actually be available to everyone. More commonly known as hacking, this kind of theft has long existed but is still not a familiar topic to common users. Although most of us are aware that information we display in the internet could be used against us or to take advantage of us, many users still allow this to happen. One good example is social network sites. People upload personal information and even photographs for everyone to see, definitely not a good practice.

Many parts of the story discuss ways to obtain information from a computer or a computer user, some fact and some fiction. One of which mentioned in the story is a worm which could actually hijack a computer. Remote access to a PC is possible but has several limitations. There are several accounts of worms being used to obtain passwords, and it was mentioned that federal authorities use one to do as such, named the “Magic Lantern”. The existence of such worms has actually been proven possible. In fact, a lot of “keylogging” software are abundant in computer shops in the Philippines and are used to steal user credentials.

I have read in numerous articles and online threads that the delete option doesn’t actually delete, but instead just points its location to nothing. It is suggested that anything deleted or overwritten can easily be recovered. In the show, the computer analyst mentioned that when a document is saved or updated in a word processor, it is possible to view it in its state before it was last saved. This is not possible because as a document is being saved in the same location with the same filename, the file is overwritten and its previous saved state is lost. This feature has yet to be offered in existing word processors. Throughout the story, the authorities seek the advice of a computer analyst who tries to trace the tracks of the said assailant. In doing so, personal information about the district attorney and the investigator was collected from the internet and was shown to them to prove that it is possible. The information included biological data, websites visited, and even bank information. It was suggested that we all leave “bread crumbs” when we surf the net and that every move we make can be traced. The first thing that comes into mind is tracking cookies. However, these cookies do not store the actual account data, as doing so would be a very dangerous practice. Also, websites visited can only be viewed through the browser history in the user’s computer. It is only possible for other people to obtain our personal information if we actually display that personal information for others to see. Not everything in the internet is available unless made available.

2nd Paper: Software Piracy and the Law

Piracy in general has been an evident problem in the Philippines. Piracy has several manifestations and one of them is Software Piracy. First of all, what makes Software Piracy a crime? The Intellectual Property Code of the Philippines protects literary, artistic, derivative, published editions of work, unprotected subject matter, copyright ownerships, reproduction by libraries and reproduction of computer programs from the very moment they are created. Exclusive rights are given to the software author or owner to replicate, adapt, or rent the program. Every time a legitimate software copy is purchased, a license agreement states all rights given to the user, as well as prohibitions.

The five common types of software piracy are End-user piracy, Client Server Overuse, Internet Piracy, Hard disk loading, and Software counterfeiting, all of which are rampant in the Philippines. The penalties are as follows:

1st offense: Imprisonment of 1 year to 3 years plus a fine ranging from P50,000 to 150,000.
2nd offense: Imprisonment of 3 years and 1 day to 6 years plus a fine ranging from P150,000 to P500,000.
3rd offense to subsequent offenses: Imprisonment of 6 years and 1
day to 9 years plus a fine ranging from P500,000 to P1.5 million.

Several incidents of software piracy crackdowns have occurred over the past decade, one example is shown below:

Call center raided by NBI for use of unlicensed software
Wednesday, May 02, 2007
Makati City, Philippines – A Korean company operating as a “call center” in Makati City was recently raided by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) for allegedly using unlicensed business software programs.
Raided was Jigu Corporation/Widespace, located at 2/F & Unit 3-B, 3/F, D'Metyang's Building, 5064 P. Burgos St. corner Guanzon St., Makati City, after investigations revealed that the company has been using unlicensed copies of Microsoft Windows and Office.
Jigu, which shares of stocks are owned in part by Korean nationals, is registered as an "export market enterprise" business with the Securities and Exchange Commission. But further investigation revealed that the company is actually operating as a call center.
With search warrants issued by Judge Oscar Pimentel of the Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 148, the raiding team led by the agents of the NBI Intellectual Property Rights Division (NBI-IPRD) confiscated 45 computers all containing unlicensed software programs. The seized items were worth Php 2.4 million. The raid was a result of a call to the anti-piracy hotline of the Business Software Alliance (BSA).
“Company owners should ensure that their businesses comply with the law. The use of unlicensed software is a violation of the country’s intellectual property laws. We urge companies not to put their businesses at risk of such violation by using only licensed software,” said Atty. Jose Justo Yap, chief of NBI IPR Division.
Last month, the NBI raided another Korean company located in Cavite Economic Zone for using pirated software in its business operation. The NBI is part of the Pilipinas Anti-Piracy Team (PAPT) together with the Optical Media Board and the Philippine National Police.

Although officials have done their part in stopping Software Piracy as seen above, the threat still seems to expand under their very noses. In the Philippines, many laws are implemented but not strictly enforced. This has been the reason for many crimes that go unnoticed among our society.

Among several organizations aiming for elimination of software piracy is the Business Software alliance. Two years ago, BSA reports stated that the piracy rate in the Philippines remained at a steady rate little above 70%. In an interview with Hwee-Chong Ng, Chair of BSA Philippines Committee, He said “With no change in the piracy rate since 2004, software piracy remains a serious concern for the Philippines. It has been a potential roadblock to success for the local IT industry to fully prosper and has continued to be detrimental to the country’s economy. A lot needs to be done, such as continuous cooperation between the public and the private sectors, to significantly reduce software piracy in the Philippines.”

Together with the government, BSA is optimistic in solving the software piracy problem in the Philippines. However, with a huge percentage of the general public choosing pirated software over copyrighted material, the future seems bleak. The availability of software in the unprotected web has also greatly affected software users. Peer-to-peer networking allows users to transfer and replicate programs with just a few clicks. The reasons behind software piracy are somewhat obvious, lots of money is saved in purchasing pirated software. This proves that without the help of the general public in supporting copyrights and software laws, there is little improvement in store for our IT industry.

1st Paper: From Business to Personal Machines

IBM has been in the forefront of the IT & Computing industry even before the term “IT & Computing” was coined. Today, IBM’s success still casts a large shadow over several younger competitors in the industry yet still continues to set a pace in the development of new technologies. Innovation has always been a key factor in IBMs success, but without a strategy to popularize and mass-market any product, those developments will never be lucrative enough to see investments.

The name IBM is almost synonymous to the word “computer”, as the company is responsible for developing some of the first general-use computers. In the early 1900s, IBM invested on the idea of punch card tabulating machines and started mass producing these special use computers. Originally a Computing-Tabulating-Recording Company, the company benefited from finding ways to compute, tabulate, and record census data. Only two decades later, revenues increased greatly and led to more profitable Time and Accounting machines to answer to the needs of its customers, mainly other companies.

During the great depression, IBM managed to survive by providing insurances and by investing on their relatively large assets. Although demand was low and economy was dwindling, the company managed to obtain contracts for accounting operations for the U.S. government. IBMs ability to find customers in the midst of chaos was soon demonstrated again during the Second World War. As the company fell into the disposal of the American government, the Mark I was created to produce even faster computations and results. The U.S. military soon realized the advantages of more sophisticated technology in war.

Shortly after the war, technology in pop culture became a large hit during the 50s. The decade saw some of the most important technological advancements in time. Some important inventions made during these years include the Transistor radio, video recorders, credit cards, modems, solar cells, and nuclear power. As culture soon began to see the importance of technology, more and more companies came up with innovations to make everything more convenient for man. While technology was increasing its pace, IBM also took several steps forward during the 1950s.

Several computing systems were created for the U.S. Air Force. Some of which were to be used as a Ballistic Missile Early Warning System. During the 1950s, the first vacuum tube computer was created. These were smaller and faster, and soon rendered the Mark I obsolete. Although these computers were still primarily used for government and research work, the vacuum tubes moved the computers into business applications such as billing, payroll, and inventory control. IBM also developed the first computer disk storage system and was soon followed by the first effective algebraic computer language, FORTRAN.

As IBM saw new leadership during the 50s, IBMs marketing strategy also changed. As a new decade came to be, the company made a gamble by changing what was an already effective technique in selling technology. Instead of hardware and software sold in packages, parts were now being sold individually and “unbundled”. Although there were 7 other computer companies aside from IBM, this strategy opened the doors to a multi-billion dollar software and services industry. The system/360 was introduced in the late 60s, which allowed computer owners to choose from a variety of modifications or upgrades. This bold move by the company even resulted to charges claimed by the government on monopolizing the industry. Due to these cases, IBM sought opportunities in dealing with other companies in developing software applications. While more tasks could be done by computers, the number of potential customers grew as well. IBM found even more value in general-purpose computers.

As leadership once again changed, IBM took another step forward into weaving the computer industry in our daily lives. The 70s saw the integration of computers in groceries in banks, even giving birth to the automated teller machine. Although rather expensive, businesses saw potential in IBM PCs being an everyday tool. Still using the unbundled method in selling, the processor came from Intel, and the Operating System came from what was then only a 32-person company, Microsoft.

Public interest grew more rapidly as more ways were found to ease work and let computers do what would normally be tedious and time consuming. IBM then continued on mass producing PCs and finding ways to entice customers. Discounts were offered to universities, which showed students the importance of computers and gave birth to other ideas on how computers can be used. Although most that see the true potential of personal computers were actually the wealthier and more educated individuals, there was no avoiding the significance of computers in everyday lives.

During the later years, more emphasis was shown by customers in desktop computing. In the mid 80s IBM came up with the Token-Ring Local Area Network, which allowed users to exchange information and share printers within a small office building. During those years, Networking also became as popular as the personal computer.
In the 90s, IBM developed the first ThinkPad laptop computer, ushering the computer even further in the realm of personal use. Today, individuals still continue to see the importance of the PC as a tool to help us with different tasks. As personal computers find their way into our homes, regular business tasks can now be done even after business hours. As technology continues to move forward, aesthetics and functionality of PCs also changes. Until today, we still see the benefits in using PCs to aid us in all kinds of work. In the present, PCs have become a regular household appliance and is slowly becoming a necessity.

Piracy & Hypocrisy

These days it is almost safe to say that everyone i know has had their share of splurging on fake items in general. Sometimes it seems that the overall attraction of getting something for a fraction of the original value outweighs our ethics. Despite so many laws in this country, the theft we know as piracy is already imprinted on our society. As discussed in class, pirated software in the digital age is identical to the original products, giving more appeal to consumers. When the people who so solemnly swear to uphold the law are also part of this form of unorganized crime, it is almost impossible to solve this serious matter

Although I myselft am in no position to vilify those who purchase pirated products, there are numerous ignored advantages in buying the real thing. My first point is, you get your money's worth. If you don't, then why would you want that product in the first place? A good practice before spending good money is to research on what you are about to buy. This way, we can avoid the hassle of sulking over money gone down the drain. From experience, another big advantage original products have over their counterparts is customer service. Although sometimes tiring and tedious, the result can be surprisingly good.

In purchasing a Symantec product license online a few months ago, I encountered what could be every online shoppers' nightmare. The price was charged to the credit card i used, but my subscription was not renewed. I immediately contacted their customer support, which was in the form of a one-on-one online chatroom. My situation was escalated from technician to technician until it was finally solved. Though frustrating, the trouble I had to endure was not left unrewarded. The package I was supposed to get was upgraded to the latest and most complete version available, and I was given a 1 year subscription as opposed to a few months for a lousy bundle. You may think it still wasn't worth it, but before deciding to purchase the real thing I had to drive a few kilometers back and forth to the nearest tiangge to ask for a different CD key which always turned out to be expired. In the end, its still a matter of preference and conscience. We are all hypocrites when it comes to piracy issues.