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"REFILL IT" APP

Have you ever been rushing to school or work because you woke up late? Then you get the train station and you and realize your train leaves in the next minute or so. You go to swipe your card for a ride but your metro card reads "insufficient fund", so you then end up missing you train because you have to take the time out to purchase a MetroCard. Well I couldn't count on both hands how many times I have forgotten my MetroCard has either expired or is low on funds and missed my train. Just the other day I was out shopping in Brooklyn and took the bus in route to the train and once I got on the bus and used my MetroCard I noticed that I was about 20 cents short for a full fare and ended up having to pay another 2.75 once I got to the train station. The new media tool I would use to help with this problem is a MetroCard refill it app. This app allows users to check their MetroCard balances as well as the ability to refill your metro card with the click of a button. Features include the ability to schedule refill dates and times with the exact amount you want. This app will send notifications when the MetroCard needs be refilled and even up to date train arrival information for a station based on the users location and commute schedule.

P2P

 So the very first time I ever encountered a file sharing software was Lime wire. File sharing is the nature in which people are able to transmit files from one computer to the next. I remember Lime wire being a way for me to share and download some of my favorite music for free. The way the software works is basically users pay and download music from other sites then, they upload the music to lime wire allowing others to download with a simple search and click. Lime wire is the exact definition of P2P (peer 2 peer) file sharing because it allows their users to share music for and me to be able to invest our money by means of personal loans to others and charge them interest. Similarly to lime wire it allows users to share from one person to another which in my opinion takes power away from big business and put it in the hands of everyday people. I am super optimistic for the future of this concept of peer to peer file sharing I believe it will be very beneficial in bringing people closer.free from person to person. In the article “Peers Find Less Pressure Borrowing From Each Other” by Wendy Kaufman talks about what file sharing in a more sophisticated sense. And how a company by the name of Lending Club functions is off the bases of allowing everyday people like you.

Advice

Ok so imagine a world of simply waking up 10 minutes before class starts, but you don’t have to rush because class is held in your room. No worries about the hustle and bustle it takes to get to your school or figuring out what to wear. Snow, rain and sick days aside you never have to miss class or even leave the house. Starting your day at school is as simple as putting on a pair of goggles. The new media tool that makes all this more than too good to be true is virtual reality. Virtual reality entails presenting our senses with a computer generated virtual environment. We know the world through our senses: taste, touch, smell, sight and hearing. These other sensory inputs, plus some special processing of sensory information by our brains ensures that we have a rich flow of information from the environment to our minds. So basically, virtual reality involves utilizing some your senses in order to create a stimulate environment ultimately tricking your brain into thinking the environment is more real then it is. Virtual reality is a new media tool that I would love to utilize at a college like Baruch where there are a lot of adult learners and independent students. This technology could improve the efficiency of college in many ways one of which it will save students money on transportation which can be used toward buying course materials on time so they are not missing out on any chapters covered at the beginning of the course. It will save students time that they can use on homework and studying. Professors would save money on supplies such as dry erase board products. For save the planet enthusiast virtual reality courses can even save trees and limit the use of paper. And get this even lesson plans are more efficient due to the fact that normal classroom distractions such a student’s walking in and tedious things like taking attendance would be a thing of the pass.

PRIVACY

I didn’t realize the extent of just how much new media effects privacy but in actuality the 2 go hand and hand. I'm a hairstylist at the Drybar and I was talking to a client of mine about her job which she works as a marketing director for an app. The premise of the app is that the actual app itself is free and provides services such as free games or free music downloads. But like my mother always said "aint nothing in the world free". I know you guys are wondering how do these type of apps make money if they aren't even charging people to use the app? Well this answer lies in the way the 21st century works today. There are so many businesses and with all this competition for consumer support, advertisers and marketers must constantly find new ways to reach the consumer base in order to increase visibility for their business. Now a days new media is playing increasingly important roles in this process for instance I can't remember a website that I regularly use that doesn’t use cookies to store my information in order to keep track of my preferences. The app company that my client works for, work similarly to cookies where they are able to store information from your phone such as the preference of site you use, how often do you view these sites, what apps are on you phone and even things like which apps you use more often. This app then takes that information and creates a data base to categorize information to then sale to advertisers and marketers alike. There are huge privacy concerns when it comes to business models based on consumer information because companies like the one discussed above don’t usually express explicit consent to store a user's information and then sell it for profit. This information is usually located in the terms of use section that only appears when you are purchasing the app which you must agree to if not you are not granted access to the app. I truly don’t think this "back people In a corner" model is fair because one must choose to either except the terms of the app or likve without the software that they may or may not need to utlize to make a day go smoother. My call of action is that the developers of these software companies should give consumers an option whether or not they want to.