Facebook Timeline

The article I chose is called “5 Ways to Secure Your Facebook Profile in a Post-Timeline World.” It was written by Logan Keller on February 7^th of this year. This article is basically about how the new (unfortunate, if I may add) feature called ‘Timeline’ is being used to basically stalk people and find out a lot more about who they communicate with on Facebook and things like that. The author mentions ways to protect a user’s privacy by going to the settings menu and editing your privacy which allows you to control what another user can and cannot see on your profile, such as who can look up your contact info such as phone numbers and e-mail addresses, and which users can see posts by other users on your timeline. This article is pretty much three pages of how to protect yourself and your privacy from having people find out more than they should know about you. I think that this is ridiculous that Facebook pretty much allows this type of invasion of privacy to happen. Over the years, Facebook has allowed people to pretty much trace every move that a user makes. For example, there is this new sidebar located on the right side of the screen that shows every interaction that one of your friends on Facebook makes. If your friend writes on one of their friends’ wall that you are not even friends with, you can hover your cursor over the post and you are able to read your friend’s entire post on their wall, including the time that the post was made. There is also an option for you to “view their friendship” which basically shows you every detail about the person your friend just messaged. This is a dream come true for a boss that is thinking about hiring somebody as they are able to view their Facebook profile, and view everything they have done since the day they created their profile, such as status updates, pictures that have been uploaded, and conversations with other Facebook friends. I think that Facebook took this way too far and needs to remove the Timeline feature.

Facebook security

 I chose the article "5 ways to secure your Facebook profile in a post-Timeline world". This article was written by Logan Kugler. On February 7, 2012 Kugler writes about Facebook's newest addition, the Timeline. Within the article is advice that is meant to make Facebook users aware of the privacy options Facebook has to offer. The article stresses how important privacy is for your own security reasons in the future. For example when you are trying to get a job, something you post to Facebook could affect whether you are hired or not, simply because your employer could have seen it. 

One security option available is limiting your connections. You can do this by changing your privacy settings according to who you want to be able to look up your Facebook page, who can see your contact information, and by controlling who can send you messages. You can also control who can add you as a friend, who can post on your Timeline and who can see the posts that are posted by others, on your Timeline. 

Another option in securing your Timeline, is viewing the posts and photos you are tagged in and choosing whether you want them on your profile or not; before they become public. If you do decide to approve a tag, you also have the option to choose who else can and can't see it. A third security option is controlling the information that is asked for by the apps you play on Facebook.

You can stop other Facebook users from taking information about you through your apps by simply changing who can and cannot view it. The last option you have at controlling the privacy on your profile, is removing older posts from a long time ago that you do not want other Facebook users to have access to. 

I think this article is interesting. I did not realize that the new Timeline gave people more access to your personal things. It is good to know that there are multiple precautions to help keep your profile and the posts that are on it, hidden from anyone you would like. 

 You can find more information about Facebook Timeline @ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMDSzYZxh6I 

IPhone

The article that I have chosen to read is “Should you feel guilty for buying your iPhone?” by Steve Kovach, it was published in January 31, 2012. The article is about how are famous IPhones are made and all are the other gadgets we have are made in China. It talks about how the people that work for Foxconn work brutal 12-hour days, six days a week. The worst part of it is that it is kids that are working these ridiculous hours. I work 10-hour days, five days a week in the summer and I come home exhausted. So I can only imagine these children’s pain, not to mention they work in not the best work place. People have heard of this and want to boycott what Apple is going to make because these kids work like that for a living. I recently got an IPhone, not know how it is made and now I kind of feel a little guilt that the poor kids made my phone because it is cheaper to make it in their country. Also, since they are cheap to make, they will not sell for a lot of money in the U.S, therefore millions of people are going to buy them and that is a lot of work those kids have ahead of them. It is unbelievable how far some people will go just to buy their product cheaper, just so they can make a giant profit for their billion-dollar company. If a billion dollars were not enough these days. I bet if the owners of Apple saw their kids working like this, that they would find a way to shut down the company and make a few laws to prevent it from happening again. That is one thing with are society, that no one cares what is happening to someone else until it becomes up close and personal, just like that Kony thing that everyone is finding out about on Facebook. Apple is saying that the people who are making their product is that safety is their number one priority but they are really having a tough time showing it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BwfYLWFL4Ys

Apple

Should you feel guilty for buying your iPhone?

January 31, 2012

The New York Times gave them the insight on what is going on with the manufacturing company that makes the Apple products. It doesn't look like Apple is very accommodating to their workers in the Chinese factories. It is not right that they are producing Apple products twenty-four hours a day, six days a week especially when some of the working conditions that are stated in the article consist of; workers standing on their feet so long that their legs start to swell, they live in crowded dorms on the factories campus, and it even states that they are underage. One worker even died days later after an explosion in one of the factories that produces iPods, because his skin had been burned badly. Foxconn factories are denying that the working conditions are as horrific as stated. 

If the factories were in America, these working conditions would not be tolerated. It is wrong that the workers are being treated like this especially since they are the ones producing the products that make Apple a billion dollar industry. Apple's CEO Tim Cook supposedly sent out an email to all Apple employees stating that these conditions and the workers safety would be taken seriously, but many do not think that they will be. The thought of boycotting Apple was brought up, however that would not be very effective. The products are being produced in China, so that when sold in America, they can be sold for a decent and fair price. If consumers boycott Apple until these working conditions are changed then the price of Apple products will most likely be incredibly high for consumers to purchase.

Apple really needs to step it up and find a solution to this outrage of the working conditions for its employees. I personally do not feel guilty for buying the Apple products just because of hearing about the working conditions. Apple produces exceptionally great products and I am sure they will continue to do so. How do you guys feel about this situation? What are your thoughts about the working conditions? Would you boycott the Apple Industry? And do you feel guilty for buying your Apple products?

Facebook Pictures

Facebook is a great way to keep in touch with people all over the world. The creation of this social media site is great but there is a catch. Photos of you are put up on Facebook by you or a friend they can be good or bad images of you. But once on Facebook they become public property with this process happing anyone can see it and use them to judge you. So to stop people from seeing these pictures you click the delete button on the screen through Facebook. But in doing this doesn’t make the picture disappear away forever they are all still in the Internets circulation. This means the bad pictures of you drinking underage and having stuff drown all over you and just being dumb can be pulled up on a search of you in the future. They never truly go away so this is a warning to all people with a Facebook that if you not be happy if your boss saw this or people would look down on you for doing something like this if they find out then don’t have people put the pictures on Facebook. By putting it on Facebook you mite as well have just handing them the picture to them in a resume or just upfront to someone that is looking up stuff on you. Jobs and school are all starting to look at peoples Facebook and their backgrounds before making diction to have them hired or accepted to the school. People need to be more carful with the stuff they put up on Facebook for once you put it up its there on the internet forever and there is nothing you can do about it no matter how many times you hit the delete button of Facebook. I think it is a bit extreme to have the pictures be on the Internet forever after you put it up on Facebook. Well though I think it is extreme it seems reasonable that if you want to share it you should have to share it with everyone in the Internet world.

By Jared White

Apple improving conditions in China

“Apple ‘determined’ to improve conditions at plants in China”

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

CNN Tech

The CEO of Apple, Tim Cook, has stated that the company is currently doing everything in its power to stop the horrid working conditions at its manufacturing plants in China. At the annual Goldman Sachs Technology and Internet Conference in San Francisco, California, Cook told hundreds of investment professionals that they know people have a very high expectation of their company, so Apple is doing more than anyone in their industry to improve such working conditions. Foxconn is the manufacturer that runs the plants in China, where there are reports of long working hours, underage workers, and a secret, militaristic culture. Cook also stated that the problem of underage labor is extremely rare and not to be tolerated, so they are starting to work with vendors farther down the supply chain to eliminate child labor. Apple’s code of conduct allows no more than sixty hours of work per week, which is 20 more hours than in America. There are reports of this code being broken in factories. Apple has $98 billion dollars in cash, which Cook states is more than needed to run the company, but there have been no indications of whether or not Apple will be issuing dividends to shareholders.

According to this article, it does not seem like there is too much emphasis on changing the working conditions in China. The conditions of workers became publicly known as an issue, so Apple needed to react somehow. Although actions should be taken, I believe that Tim Cook is just presenting this message to say that Apple will change the laws for working conditions. There is not much proof of Apple taking a stand in China, other than the fact that they said the company will start using vendors who do not participate in child labor. This alone may help, but it also does not change the long hours adult workers are forced to work and the conditions they are placed in. I think Apple can take a much bigger stand on the issue than what they are actually doing. This message by Cook seems like something to just brush off the issue, when in reality there should be more serious actions taken.

10 Steps to Smartphone Safety

10 Steps to Smartphone Safety By Eric Zeman, Information Week February 18th, 2012 The article is mainly focusing on 10 key steps to keeping your phone and all your valuable information on that phone safe. The world is very technologically oriented and the smartphones that we have today can literally have ALL of our information on it. Ranging from contacts, to banking statements, to pictures, our phones have our lives on them. To keep our phones safe writer Eric zeman tells us to keep our phone locked, encrypt our data, turn location services off, keep our iphone updated, don't let strangers use our phones, use find my iphone app or similar apps, don't leave your phone unattended, watch attachments on e-mails, and don't download apps from weird places. I believe that these are 10 key steps to keeping our smartphones and more importantly our information safe. We need to keep very close watch on our phones because I have heard many stories of phones being missing and then bills or money has been withdrew from their accounts. I would add a few more steps to these 10. I would download apps that specifically don't allow users to view or open certain apps without a password. Also, I would tell smartphone users to clear their phone history after use. There are many techniques to keep smartphones safe and I believe that this article is very helpful for smartphone users. We should all listen and abide by these steps to keep ourselves safe. Many believe that smartphones are unnecessary and are nothing but trouble. I see what they are saying but I do believe that to keep moving forward with technology and a nation as a whole, smartphones are necessary. Smartphones help with work, school and many other things. Productivity in these areas increase with the aid of a smartphone. I can not see this world without smartphones. We need to accept this, and strive to just make it safer instead of boycotting it as a whole. Smartphones will help our nation and will also help us as individuals. We need these phones.

End to Unlimited Data Plans

Smartphone data shake-up: The end of 'unlimited' on February 8, 2012 computerworld.com It really stinks that there are very few carriers left that offer unlimited data plans. Sprint is the only carrier that still has an option for their buyers to have unlimited data packages with their phones.The majority of people in this decade have smartphones. Everywhere we look someone is holding an iPhone or a Droid. People rely on these phones a lot and are constantly using the devices' internet. People debate which plan to get now, because I know as a Verizon customer, I had trouble deciding whether to get the 2GB plan or the 5GB plan. I ended up going with the 2GB plan but was worried that I would go over the amount of data I was allowed. Pretty soon I would imagine Sprint will take away their unlimited data plan and all smartphone users will be forced to pick a specified data plan. It's scary because the carriers know they have us. As consumers we love these phones and the carriers recognize this so they can hike up the price for their data plans and know that we will give in. It is a scary thing when the producers have so much power over the buyers. What I don't like is the fact that AT &T offers lower data plans and Verizon doesn't. My solution to the data package plans that are offered, I would take the lowest data plan offered. I jailbroke my iPhone and have an app that gets me free WiFi in many places. If you didn't know if your phone is using WiFi it no longer relies on your data plan on your phone. So, jail breaking my phone was really helpful and I don't go over my data limit. So, my problem is that I really wish Verizon would have more low end options for data plans so I wouldn't have to pay thirty dollars a month. That would be my recommendation to those struggling to just use the amount of data they have available per month. Hopefully Verizon will begin to offer low end data plans so I don't have to pay as much but it's highly unlikely that that will happen. Here is the link that shows the data plans offered to consumers through Verizon Wireless,

Verizon and Redbox team up to battle Netflix by By David Goldman @CNNMoneyTech February 6, 2012: 5:46 PM ET

Both Verizon and Redbox are teaming up to battle Netflix to draw consumers away from Netflix. Netlix has recently been criticized because of the the lack of new content on there live streaming feed, whereas Redbox and Verizon offer a large amount of new titles. With the combination of RedBox and Verizon customers would be able to have a huge library of movies to select from either playing live or through a physical disk. This would be a great upset to Netflix who recently changed their format so that you have to pay for both the live streaming serviced and the mail in disk. I believe that the combination of Redbox and Verizon would be a huge detriment for netflix who would have to change their format once again to stop customers from leaving

Apple Working Conditions in China

Apple Working Conditions in China

	I chose the article "Apple Determined to improve conditions at plants in China."  The article was issued by CNN and written on Wednesday Febuary 15, 2012 by Dan Simon.  Apple is a powerful technology giant in the industry.   Currently, Foxconn accused Apple for unethical working conditions in China.  Reports claim the plant has been hiring under-aged workers, introducing long working hours, and participates in military work.  Apple CEO, Tim Cook, claims the company is doing everything they can to resolve the issue.  He also corrects the accusations because they have already checked for under aged workers with the assembly department.  Now they are massively auditing the long strand of vendors to make sure no one being hired is under age.   Tim Cook reassures everyone that if they find a supplier hiring under age workers, then a firing action will be executed. Cook confirms there has been a violation of work hours that exceeds the limit of 60 hours in Apples Code of Conduct.  This is being handled and the 60 hours required by workers is 20 hours more than the American full-time hours.  The CEO confirms that the company is pushing for a big change by recording monthly results of who is being hired and how long they are working.
	I believe what Apple has ignored in the past is a big issue.  Ethical standards were not met and this could put a negative spin on Apple’s products.  The CEO is making the right steps by admitting their fault and by making changes to fix the problem so they won’t happen in the future.  The massive audits and information recordings are the company’s main solution to the problem.  I believe that even though they let down there ethical standards at first, there quick reaction to the problem make allow Apple to deflect any losses that may have occurred if they strung this problem out. In conclusion, Apple makes unethical miscues by not paying attention to their plants in China.  CEO Tim Cook quickly responds to the problem by inspecting all of the factory plants and suppliers in China.  Apple also changed by adapting a recording system that accounts hours worked and employee information every month.  Apple made unethical mistakes, but wisely corrected them through good leadership and management.

Syrian Computer Virus

The article I chose to read was titled, “Computer spyware is newest weapon in Syrian conflict.” It was published in CNN and was written on February 17, 2012 by Ben Brumfield. For a direct link to the article please follow this url: http://www.livebinders.com/play/play/304850. The article is about how the supporters of the regime have deployed these new computer viruses to spy on opposition activists. This computer virus works by stealing information from a computer and sending it directly to a government server.

The way they work more specifically is that those who support the government impersonate members of the opposition and send them Trojan horses, and convince them to open the files. Once opened, many of these spying viruses are released into their computers, and a lot of information is sent back out to the government servers. There are two different forms of the virus. One is a simple malware. It is small, has one function, and is relatively easy to find. It has been dubbed by experts as the “backdoor.breut”. The second kind is a lot worse. It seems to have several parts, and it is extremely difficult to find. Many other activists tell of how they were detained and forced to give up their passwords by the government officials and authorities. One person, who prefers to be known as “Susan”, was contacted via Skype with who she thought was someone else. During this conversation, this man sent her a file which he told her to open so they could be sure it was really themselves they were talking to. The file downloaded and then after she pressed open, nothing happened. She had just been passed the virus, but it was unknown to her at the time. This is because the way it works disallows her to see it, but once examined by a member of IT, it was obvious what had happened.

To most, since nothing happens, the link seems harmless and broken. But the danger is soon known once your e-mails and your Facebook is gone. The Trojan horse had followed and copied her key strokes, taken screen shots, gone through her folders, and it hid the IP address that had the information sent to it. The simpler virus does not hide the IP address it sends the information too. Computer engineers warn to be wary of what you are opening, and to download some kind of anti-virus to protect against it.

The new Mountain Lion

Before reading this news article I knew a little bit about the new upcoming Apple mac mountain lion system that is coming out this summer. Apple this past summer came out with a new desktop system called Lion. They released his for a very low price of 30 dollars hoping to generate a lot of sales. The article says that only 30 percent of mac uses use it. The Lion system was a medium of the old snow leopard and the new Mountain lion coming out this summer. It featured user friendly hand gestures and upgraded apps to make you mac experience as best it can be. After reading this I went to Apples website to get a visual of what exactly will be different with Mountain lion from Lion. If you visit Here it allows you to see some of the innovative things that they will be offering in Mountain Lion. It seems that Apple is trying to have all of its products from the iPhone, iPad, and its computers to all have the same look and function the same. One feature this article focused on was the ability to wirelessly hook up your computer to your tv. Now currently as far as I know the only way to hook your computer to your tv is with an HDMI cable, this can sometimes be a pain involving moving stuff and plugging things in. Also there is a limit to how far you can be from the tv depending on how long your cord is. So I think having it work wirelessly is amazing, it will allow you to work on projects, watch tv, and surf the web comfortably and fast. The only downfall is the article does not tell you that you have to buy and external item called apple tv to make this work. Now the last but also great feature of the upcoming mac Mountain Lion is its notifications that will pop up on your computer allowing you to not be interrupted while working and see what is going on. The software allows you to text any iPhone or iPad for free through there messaging system. The last question I have is how much will this software be?