The latest and newest purchase I already want to make less than a year after I have already bought an Itouch: the new Ipad. The iPad is a perfect example of digital convergence. What is digital convergence you may ask?
Digital Convergence is best described in my opinion as combining different media technologies into one main source so that everyday life will become more organized and productive.
Digital Convergence is an everyday developing technology that not only continues to change but also one that benefits everyone including corporations, large and small businesses, organizations and everyday people. It's convenient and easy to have everything at your fingertip. For example, my cell phone has a GPS System, games, a music identifier, mailbox for my e-mail addresses, plays music, has the time on it, plays videos, allows me access to my facebook and myspace account, is a calculator, alarm clock and is also my phone. This is digital convergence. Now obviously I am the consumer and I use this device for literally everything I need. I refer to my phone as my "lifeline" to my friends because with this many of the everyday items I need on it, it is.
Now when it comes to news organizations, according to the article "Can the Apple iPad Save Newspapers?," digital convergence would allow readers to see multiple articles on one screen, have wireless internet, video and more. The idea is that people will pay for this multi-purpose function and let's be real: They will and soon will.
Corporations will use digital convergence in one way: Making a profit. Instead of just selling one item say a phone they combine several technologies into one device to mark up the cost of the device. In my opinion, the demand is also greater for these devices that have multiple functions because it's a matter of convenience and time is money. If I can have one device that has 20 options on it as opposed to 3 devices that have 3 functions each, clearly I'm going to purchase the device that has the 20 options. Not only will it save me time, it saves me the space of carrying the multiple devices.
Several of these devices that have and will continue to revolutionize digital convergence include: the Amazon Kindle, the Apple iPhone, iTouch, iPad, the Nintendo DSI, Microsoft's Digital Journal, and tons of other types of phones, computers and virtually almost every piece of technology is updating with multiple functions in an effort to increase their digital convergence to compete in the market.
Pictured above are just some of Apple's products using digital convergence. The iPhone is one of the most popular cell phones on the market today. Not only a phone, but a phone that contains multiple apps or applications just by touching the screen. Not only does it allow you to buy and or download these apps, but it's a phone, calculator, calendar, internet provider, gives you the weather, GPS system, music and so so much more. A list of apps can be found here.
Apple's iPad is another device offering digital convergence. You can see a whole web page on the screen and is described as way better than a laptop. This device allows users internet access, word processor, video access, a microphone and has all iPhone apps available as well.
So now the question is how does this all play into the Long Tail and Creative Commons in which we learned about earlier in the semester? Well simply put they all go hand in hand. The Long Tail allows us technology and with digital convergence, we are now constantly being allowed more technology in one compact device with several functions. When it comes to Creative Commons, this is where we are allowed to use and change works of art to make them our own as long as we give credit to the original artist. With digital convergence we can change those works in more than one way. For example, using the Apple iPad I can reach a video on the internet and then I can change it to my own work of art as long as I give proper credit to the original artist. It's pretty fascinating to see how all three play together.
In 2020 it's hard to imagine what the digital world will be like. Such changes occur on a daily basis as it is now and will only continue to grow. I imagine the speed at which we can reach our e-mail, and internet will take even less time than it does now. In an article I read it discusses fanciful ideas that Apple will come up with in the future, the thing is I don't believe they're fanciful ideas. I truly think that Apple and other technological companies are constantly coming up with prototypes of such products as the tribook. I do think sadly however that within ten years, technology will have definitely outrun our lives. I think classes won't even exist but instead everything will be done online, including lectures over camera. I also believe computers will write our papers for us as we speak it out to a microphone in the computer. I think about the medical advances technologically speaking as well and digital convergence is probably going to play into that as well by giving us a cyberknife type of object that gives us vitals, performs surgeries and can look up on the internet how to perform the surgery. While I'm one for technological advances, it's actual rather scary to think about what advances will take place in the next ten years.
So now the question is how does this all play into the Long Tail and Creative Commons in which we learned about earlier in the semester? Well simply put they all go hand in hand. The Long Tail allows us technology and with digital convergence, we are now constantly being allowed more technology in one compact device with several functions. When it comes to Creative Commons, this is where we are allowed to use and change works of art to make them our own as long as we give credit to the original artist. With digital convergence we can change those works in more than one way. For example, using the Apple iPad I can reach a video on the internet and then I can change it to my own work of art as long as I give proper credit to the original artist. It's pretty fascinating to see how all three play together.
In 2020 it's hard to imagine what the digital world will be like. Such changes occur on a daily basis as it is now and will only continue to grow. I imagine the speed at which we can reach our e-mail, and internet will take even less time than it does now. In an article I read it discusses fanciful ideas that Apple will come up with in the future, the thing is I don't believe they're fanciful ideas. I truly think that Apple and other technological companies are constantly coming up with prototypes of such products as the tribook. I do think sadly however that within ten years, technology will have definitely outrun our lives. I think classes won't even exist but instead everything will be done online, including lectures over camera. I also believe computers will write our papers for us as we speak it out to a microphone in the computer. I think about the medical advances technologically speaking as well and digital convergence is probably going to play into that as well by giving us a cyberknife type of object that gives us vitals, performs surgeries and can look up on the internet how to perform the surgery. While I'm one for technological advances, it's actual rather scary to think about what advances will take place in the next ten years.
Here is a really good article according to CNN of what the technological world will be like 2025. Pretty scary if you read it and what's already in the works. I mean I could go on forever but chances are if you've thought about it, it's already in the works or pre-creation stages. I guess only time will tell what does become developed and what doesn't.
Sources:
Both Internet and Pics
http://www.flickr.com/photos/richard-g/4317551700/
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/pda/2010/jan/28/can-apple-ipad-save-newspapers http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/05/microsofts-courier-digital-journal-exclusive-pictures-and-de/
Sources:
Both Internet and Pics
http://www.flickr.com/photos/richard-g/4317551700/
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/12/business/smallbusiness/12guide.html?_r=2
http://www.macworld.com/article/145480/2010/01/otellini_ces.html
http://www.apple.com/iphone/apps-for-iphone/
http://www.maclife.com/article/feature/future_apple_design
http://edition.cnn.com/2000/TECH/computing/01/14/tech.2025.idg/
good post! But I have to admit, I have played with an Iphone and they are definitely different. I have an android phone and I love it. The only reason I bought this phone was for the calendar app that is on it. It does come in handy I have have to check my email or send an email or pay a bill really quick, but thats all I really use it for. I didn't know apple came out with an iphone shuffle, that thing is sooo small!! I guess when you think of digital convergence making more shelf space and more options available to consumers and businesses then it is a good thing. But I would like to know what would happen if for some reason all our technology crashed and we had no "hard copies" available.
ReplyDeleteI am in total agreement that there are a lot of "ifs" Paper and pen are going away and as I have said in previous comments and posts I am sorry about the loss of physical contact and eye to eye personal contact that we are losing with the technology being developed. ON the other hand, I am about to embrace it because I need for my life to become simpler and this new technology is the key to that. I also fear of what the future will bring but I also can see that realistically, people may not know what personal interaction is and what the inside experience of a classroom is but things will be simple is one is confined in anyway to where they are at. That seems odd to say but Really hermits can get a lot done without having to go out of their comfort zones. I'm saving for the Apple iPad but by the time I have the money something new may exist so YES it is almost impossible to know what our technological world will look like in 2020 or 2025. Great post!
ReplyDeleteI thought you had a well thought out description of what the future might be like. I like the idea of speaking papers instead of writing them but my biggest concern are things like you mentioned like not having classes in person anymore, we all need human contact in out lives. I also hope that medical technological advances are really important and good ones and not like that movie Repo Man lol. I also liked your iPhone graphic. Good job.
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