Entry 8 : COOLIRIS

The following are screenshots of a typical picture or video browser.

1. Google Images

2. Youtube browser

Ever wish that you can view and find all pictures and videos at one glance? Ever wonder if you can view pictures and videos on a 3D platform? Well, now you can! Let me now introduce to you a multimedia tool known as COOLIRIS that allows you to do all the above. For a better understanding, let me start with the following videos:

As you can see from the above video, COOLIRIS is a browser plug in that revolutionizes how you find, view and share pictures/video. Whether you are browsing the Web or your desktop, COOLIRIS presents media on an infinite "3D" wall that allows one to enjoy the content without clicking page to page. One can scan through hundreds of photos and videos in seconds. You can navigate among album, zoom in and out, view them in full screen or slideshow mode and even share pictures/videos when you like. Your can even use COOLIRIS to find photos stored on your desktop. The good news is that COOLIRIS is applicable on popular sites such as Facebook, Youtube, Google Images and Flickr.

Let me now share with you how exactly does COOLIRIS works.

Step 1.

Start COOLIRIS by clicking the COOLIRIS mouse-over icon, browser toolbar icon or desktop icon.

Step 2.

Enjoy the COOLIRIS experience

Thanks to COOLIRIS, it seems to me that 3D experience is no longer only available in movie threates. To get your 3D mutimedia experience, do visit http://www.cooliris.com/.

Entry 7 : VIRUS

WHAT IS VIRUS?

In human, a virus is known to be a small infectious agent that can replicate only inside the living cells of organisms. However, virus is not only applicable in us, human beings. It can also be seen in the cyber world. Computer virus are written by mean people! Computer virus are small software programs that are designed to spread from one computer to another .

A virus is inactive until you execute an infected program or application OR start your computer from a disk that has infected system files. Once a virus is active, it loads into your computer's memory and may save itself to your hard drive or copies itself to applications or system files on disks you use.

Some viruses are programmed specifically to damage the data on your computer.It might corrupt or delete data on your computer, use your email program to spread itself to other computers, or even erase everything on your hard disk. Other viruses make your computer's system behave erratically or crash frequently.

HOW DO VIRUS SPREAD?

Computer viruses are often spread by attachments in email messages or instant messaging messages. That is why it is essential that you never open email attachments unless you know who it's from and you are expecting it. Viruses can be disguised as attachments of funny images, greeting cards, or audio and video files. Computer virus can also be spread through downloads in Internet. They can be hidden in illicit software or other files or programs you might download.

Viruses begin to work and spread when you start up the program or application of which the virus is present. The virus may be programmed to attach to other applications, disks or folders. It may infect a network if given the opportunity. Viruses behave in different ways. Some viruses stay active only when the application it is part of is running. Turn the computer off and the virus is inactive. Other viruses will operate every time you turn on your computer after infecting a system file or network.

Example of a Computer Virus - The "I Love You" Virus

The author of this particular virus was a computer student in a college in the Philippines and wrote the virus as an experiment, not intending it to ever be used. The virus was obtained by someone close to her and released into the wild and had infected millions of computers worldwide in a few hours! This particular virus attacked media files like JPGs and MP3s and for each one on a PC, it became a part of the virus, spreading it across the world like an ill-wind. This virus is sent via e-mail in May 2000 with "I LOVE YOU" in the subject field, it replicated itself to everyone in the user's Outlook address book and then destroyed local files. The "I Love You" menace clogged up Web servers, manipulated personal files and caused IT System Managers to shut e-mail systems off the network. It corrupts MP3 and JPEG files on users' hard drives, as well as mIRC, a version of Internet Relay Chat. It also appears to reset the default start page for Internet Explorer. Look how deadly "I LOVE YOU" can be in the cyber world!


Let's us now end with a funny video on computer virus! Enjoyyy!!

Entry 6 : Microsoft Surface Technology

Microsoft surface computer is just like a touch screen coffee table. There are several special features:

Currently, laptop computers can be used by only a single person. But Microsoft surface computer enables up to 5 users at a go. Another plus point in this computer is the usage of modern technology, bringing minority report in reality!

In addition, the touch screen feature enables you to drag, enlarge and minimize your windows at your finger tips. And with the computer recognizes room temperature, and object recognition, it can identify digital objects such as cameras, cell phones even cups on the table top. You could then extract information directly from the hardware into the computer with ease.

However, this product comes with a hefty price tag of 10 000USD. As a matter of fact, I still think Microsoft Surface Tabletop could cater only to specific industries, such as the creative industry. Holding a diploma in Visual Communication at Temasek Design School, I feel that the Microsoft Surface Technology will provide a much better tool in carrying out media activities, such as designing typography, posters, editing of videos etc. As the computer offers a rather big screen surface(30 inches) to work on, there's an opportunity for artists to work on the same project simultaneously and effectively. Not to mention the service industry, the Surface technology can provide information, tailoring to the customers' needs, as they can be selective while browsing the Microsoft Surface Tabletop. In addition, when comes to peak hours, customers could share the Surface Tabletop, exchanging information swiftly and interactively. Thus, strengthening the organization's relationship with the customers in return.

However, I feel that the Microsoft Surface Technology will not be a future replacement for our desktop computers. Firstly, the size of the tabletop is totally impractical for home use. Secondly, the tabletop would means one would not have any privacy while using the computer as the purpose of the Microsoft Surface Coffee Table is to allow multiple users to use at the same time. Lastly, the cost of it does not justify its capabilities. iPad could almost do the same thing as the Microsoft Surface Tabletop, and it costs a hundred times lesser than the Microsoft Tabletop.

Even so, I believe the Microsoft Surface Technology will come into use in the long run. However, it will not replace our usual desktop computers, but for a specific purpose such as maintaining the entire household appliances in such a way that we no longer need to move around switching switches but just lay back and everything would be done at our fingertips.