http://scitech.blogs.cnn.com/2010/03/26/a-new-look-at-spam-by-the-numbers/
This article talks about the ever prevalent problem of spam. A recent research venture done by Twitter showed that only 1% of posts were spam. This may seem encouraging, but in regards to email only 10% are not considered as spam. On average, an email address receives 100 spam messages a day. This is most likely a direct result if hackers setting up "phantom computers", or computers that simply send out mass spam email. Shockingly, according to a survey conducted by CNN nearly half the people still click on these links despite them realizing it is spam. To try and fight this battle, the government has put out a list of tips and tricks to try and avoid falling for spam. Twitter has also taken the same initiative to try and get less people to possibly give up personal information.
I find it shocking how many people can possibly fall for the spam emails we all get every day. Sure, on the surface it sounds great. "Fill out a survey and get a $500 gift card of your choice!" or "email submit for a new LCD TV!". Really people, does this even sound realistic. I understand it can be sometimes hard to sway away from these ads, but clearly this is a case of too good to be true. It's almost sad to hear these stories because typically it tends to be those who are in need of money or have some sort of mental disability. I feel badly for these people, but especially those in need of money have to realize the impossibility of these things being true. I suppose that is always going to be human nature though. Any time something is easy to do and ends in what seems to be a high payout, people will do it.
I guess the thing I still don't understand is how the major email clients have not been able to stop the flow of spam emails. I realize they are impossible to stop, it just seems that in today's society we would be capable of making a process to let these fake emails even hit the spam folder. I can personally say that my yahoo email receives roughly 75 spam emails a day. Although i never pay more attention to them other than to delete them, that is definitely too many for a email service as popular as Yahoo!
http://erictric.com/2010/03/26/twitter-cuts-down-spam-to-under-1-of-total-daily-tweets/
This article briefly talks about the attempt of Twitter to reduce the serious problem of spam they had in early and mid 2009. They were able to reduce the spam count from roughly 11% of posts to under 1% now. They did this by specifically targeting the programs and ways spammers hit the site and stopped it. If Twitter was able to do this, I find it amazing that google and yahoo! aren't able to get on board in regards to email. I realize that these emails are not technically illegal to send, but the average of 100 is incredible to me. Even more than 5 makes me feel as though Yahoo is not doing a good enough job to prevent it's user from dangers. Yahoo and other email clients need to step up their security and limit the number of spam emails sent to it's user. I know they aren't literally forcing anyone to click these sites, but they have to realize people will. Human nature will trump common sense.
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Article Nine
http://www.cnn.com/2010/TECH/03/19/voice.recognition/index.html
This article discusses voice recognition technology in use for every day items. Specifically, it talks about the capability of cell phones to take in what someone is saying and convert it into text messaging form. If this were to be implemented in cell phones, the article discusses the many practical uses that could follow. The main idea talked about is for use in the car. It has been proposed that through voice recognition technology and the car's audio it could decipher a text, say it through the speakers, and allow the user to voice back what they want to say. There are already some applications for the Iphone that do this, but the the author of the article notes they are very choppy and often convert things wrong. There is currently a serious push to get more funding to create a better system.
I've had an opportunity to use this technology but on the computer. My dad's company had paid the outrageous price and let him use it at home. On a base level, it was very entertaining. I attempted to use it to write a paper for school, and the thought of not having to type up a whole lengthy paper sounded great in my head. However, the actual functionality of the device was much different. It misunderstood nearly a quarter of the words I said and sometimes did not even write the words I was saying. Also, it was not really able to delete things I said and wanted to change. I ended up becoming so frustrated with the process that I quit using it. I had to scrap what I hardly wrote and start fresh. Looking back, I realize that I misused the technology and now realize that it should only be used for quick, simple things. And what is quicker than a text?
I think it'd be really great if researchers could get this to work out well. More and more in our society, people are getting into car accidents as a result of looking down at a text. This would severely decrease those accident numbers and make every thing safer. This would also just make sending a text better and easier. I personally as I've stated a few times now hate text messaging. If i get into a text conversation my fingers tend to strain and hurt. This would obviously cease if I were able to just state out loud what I want to say, then have it go. I would use it all the time and I'm sure many other people would as well.
the article posted here http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_14514306 discusses the advancement of the voice recognition software. He explains that essentially they are in a place to make the software almost error free soon. Although it is much better than before, it is still not perfect. He notes that he sent his wife what was supposed to be "How's it going hun" but it was sent as "acetone hon". There's clearly room to improve for this technology, but it's great where it can lead. I'm sure in the not so distant future everyone will be using Voice recognition for all their basic needs.
This article discusses voice recognition technology in use for every day items. Specifically, it talks about the capability of cell phones to take in what someone is saying and convert it into text messaging form. If this were to be implemented in cell phones, the article discusses the many practical uses that could follow. The main idea talked about is for use in the car. It has been proposed that through voice recognition technology and the car's audio it could decipher a text, say it through the speakers, and allow the user to voice back what they want to say. There are already some applications for the Iphone that do this, but the the author of the article notes they are very choppy and often convert things wrong. There is currently a serious push to get more funding to create a better system.
I've had an opportunity to use this technology but on the computer. My dad's company had paid the outrageous price and let him use it at home. On a base level, it was very entertaining. I attempted to use it to write a paper for school, and the thought of not having to type up a whole lengthy paper sounded great in my head. However, the actual functionality of the device was much different. It misunderstood nearly a quarter of the words I said and sometimes did not even write the words I was saying. Also, it was not really able to delete things I said and wanted to change. I ended up becoming so frustrated with the process that I quit using it. I had to scrap what I hardly wrote and start fresh. Looking back, I realize that I misused the technology and now realize that it should only be used for quick, simple things. And what is quicker than a text?
I think it'd be really great if researchers could get this to work out well. More and more in our society, people are getting into car accidents as a result of looking down at a text. This would severely decrease those accident numbers and make every thing safer. This would also just make sending a text better and easier. I personally as I've stated a few times now hate text messaging. If i get into a text conversation my fingers tend to strain and hurt. This would obviously cease if I were able to just state out loud what I want to say, then have it go. I would use it all the time and I'm sure many other people would as well.
the article posted here http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_14514306 discusses the advancement of the voice recognition software. He explains that essentially they are in a place to make the software almost error free soon. Although it is much better than before, it is still not perfect. He notes that he sent his wife what was supposed to be "How's it going hun" but it was sent as "acetone hon". There's clearly room to improve for this technology, but it's great where it can lead. I'm sure in the not so distant future everyone will be using Voice recognition for all their basic needs.
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Article Eight
http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2010/03/04/lip-reading-cell-phone-hit-german-tech/
This article talks about a new technology created in Germany, a lip reading cell phone. According to it's developers, attaching the device to the phone and then the lips allows for a user to only mouth the words without actually voicing them out loud. The device would then decifer what was said through electromyography, the acquisition and recording of electrical potentials generated by muscle activity. They plan to show off this new device on a German show soon. The picture on the article shows the two developers with the device attached to their mouths, with many wires shown.
Personally, I think this is awesome. I honestly find it unbelievable that this is even possible to do, yet they have a found a way. This could have so many potential uses in our society. The article jokingly references the idea of being able to "talk" during a movie. Another thing that it really could do is allow for the user to enter in personal information with much greater security than before. However, the largest thing I could see this helping the world is those who are mute for a particular reason. A fair amount of mute individuals can mouth the words without being able to vocalize them. With this device, they could talk on a cell phone with no problems. I realize that in many instances they would not be able to hear a response, but for an emergency situation this would greatly impact a mute person's life.
Another article found here http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/discoblog/2010/03/05/new-lip-reading-cell-phone-system-can-allow-for-silent-conversations/ goes into further discussion on the same device. It gives much of the same detail, but also adds that this device could allow for a user to be able to speak in a native tongue and have it translated into English or another language. It also goes into greater detail on how the device works and the tests that have been done on it.
The only potential problem I could see with this is the bulkiness of the object. Both articles show the picture with the device attached to the mouth. It is about nine wires all over the mouth and face. This is obviously something people would not use in every day life. I would likely not even think about buying this type of thing. It is just great that technology is coming out that will greatly help society as a whole. When this becomes cheaper as well, more people will use it for the convenience. I can't wait to see where this technology goes in the future and if it ever hits the mainstream markets
This article talks about a new technology created in Germany, a lip reading cell phone. According to it's developers, attaching the device to the phone and then the lips allows for a user to only mouth the words without actually voicing them out loud. The device would then decifer what was said through electromyography, the acquisition and recording of electrical potentials generated by muscle activity. They plan to show off this new device on a German show soon. The picture on the article shows the two developers with the device attached to their mouths, with many wires shown.
Personally, I think this is awesome. I honestly find it unbelievable that this is even possible to do, yet they have a found a way. This could have so many potential uses in our society. The article jokingly references the idea of being able to "talk" during a movie. Another thing that it really could do is allow for the user to enter in personal information with much greater security than before. However, the largest thing I could see this helping the world is those who are mute for a particular reason. A fair amount of mute individuals can mouth the words without being able to vocalize them. With this device, they could talk on a cell phone with no problems. I realize that in many instances they would not be able to hear a response, but for an emergency situation this would greatly impact a mute person's life.
Another article found here http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/discoblog/2010/03/05/new-lip-reading-cell-phone-system-can-allow-for-silent-conversations/ goes into further discussion on the same device. It gives much of the same detail, but also adds that this device could allow for a user to be able to speak in a native tongue and have it translated into English or another language. It also goes into greater detail on how the device works and the tests that have been done on it.
The only potential problem I could see with this is the bulkiness of the object. Both articles show the picture with the device attached to the mouth. It is about nine wires all over the mouth and face. This is obviously something people would not use in every day life. I would likely not even think about buying this type of thing. It is just great that technology is coming out that will greatly help society as a whole. When this becomes cheaper as well, more people will use it for the convenience. I can't wait to see where this technology goes in the future and if it ever hits the mainstream markets
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