A Review of a Review:

Taking a Look at Tech Shifts 10 min. Podcast:

Tech Shift Week in Review: Subsidized internet, new Google gadgetry and super-computing

This podcast touched a little bit on three different points.

One is the FCC proposing to subsidize broadband access to the poor.

They cited that about 30% of people in Chicago don't have access to internet, and one of the main reasons is because people can't afford it.

I think to live in this day without having access to internet makes it really difficult for a lot of reasons.  One which could have a big impact on the poor living without internet:

Internet can open doors to education, increasing job skills, and finding jobs

Personally, I think this would be a really good thing for the government to do to help people.

The second point they touch on is Google thinking about adding a layer to help them look at how you use your smartphone in order to help you search better and provide you with information that may be interesting to you.  One thing that immediately came to my head, and they did mention it is privacy issues. How private is your smartphone use really, and how this could be a bit too intrusive for me.

The third point they mentioned, but really didn't have much information on it. Basically it was about Hewlitt-Packard planning to sell a majority stake to China, and also women becoming more integrated into the technology field. 

It was a 10 minute blurb, could be worth your time, but if not I do think Tech Shift has some interesting podcasts that would be worth checking out!

http://www.npr.org/podcasts/399957945/tech-shift

A TED Talk Review : Security Hacks!

If you've never heard of TED Talks, I highly recommend watching these short information videos! 

The TED Talk I watched recently was from Avi Rubin, a computer science professor with expertise in computer and information security.  The name of the talk was

'All your devices can be hacked'. 

His argument was about real-world hacks that may be not as well known, but very scary if applied.
It was an intriguing and effective presentation and opened my eyes to the dangers of security attacks and hacking.

I'll highlight a few of those examples he talked about.  He showed how nowadays we have many internal medical devices that are controlled by a computer and could potentially be hacked; such as a pacemaker, an Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD), or a blood pump. These devices could be hacked and changed or even turned off!

Illustration found on Google Images
by Rob Donnelly

A hacker could 

induce a 

FATAL heart rhythm 

He also described the multiple ways your car could be hacked from someone listening in on you to someone controlling the brakes in your car.

Image found on Google Images
by the C3 Group

A hacker could wirelessly 

DISABLE 

the brakes in your car

Avi gave many more examples of security hacking including using surveillance cameras to watch what you enter in your smartphone, listening in on law enforcement and gaining sensitive information, hacking smartphones, and voting machines.

Although it is a very serious issue, it was enjoyable to listen to, and Avi Rubin used humor throughout to keep it light and make it more entertaining. I really recommend listening to this TED Talk, here is the link:

https://www.ted.com/talks/avi_rubin_all_your_devices_can_be_hacked#t-175496

Why I Am At MATC

Hi! My name is Kathleen. Currently I am an activity specialist in a retirement home.  I enjoy my job, but feel I have hit a ceiling, and that it is time for me to change careers and find something better for myself.  I am attending MATC and working toward an Associate's Degree as IT Web and Software Developer. Right now I am completely new to computers and feel very intimidated! Well not completely new, we got our first computer when I was under ten years old.  One of my favorite games was Mario is Missing:

As I got a little older, I was required (by my parents) to use Mavis Beacon to learn how to type. Which, though I don't normally admit to them, I am happy they made me.

I received my first laptop (a 2 year old hand-me-down from my sister) when I went away to college for health promotion.  It wasn't a speed demon by any means, and although I spent much of my time telling it to "GO!", it worked pretty well. I discovered the wonders of Microsoft Office, and enjoyed learning new shortcuts and faster methods for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. 

I also discovered I had a knack for figuring things out on my computer on my own, since asking questions over the phone to some form of help-desk was not always convenient and usually very time consuming. Google became my best friend and we still work very well together to this day.

In my last years of college I had friends who "taught me" what they were learning in programming classes.  Basically they talked about coding, and I listened and watched the strange language intently with everything going over my head, but nodding fervently and hoping my questions didn't sound stupid to them.  I thought it sounded fun and wondered why I didn't go to school for that, but put it out of my mind. 

After graduation and moving back to my hometown to work, I again discovered how much I enjoyed using the computer. Weather it was helping my mom on her computer, helping to teach my coworker how to use the scheduling program on the computer at work, or just learning new things at home (mainly from codeacademy.com, and random googling), I realized how much I enjoy working with computers on a daily basis. 

I finally got my first smartphone, after everyone I knew had a smartphone. I discovered APPS, and gmail, and that wonderful mystical blob called the cloud!

Although I already knew it deep down somewhere, I suddenly realized how much technology is everywhere and affects everyone. I realized how useful and wonderful technology can be when you know what your doing, but also how much I DON'T KNOW!

I had been considering going back to school for awhile, but I really didn't know what for. I thought I really like working with computers and I would like to do something with it, but there's so much I don't know, and what if I'm terrible. My dad was the one to help push my thoughts into action into going to school to MATC. I am in my second semester, I feel as though everyone in my classes already knows a ton more than me, and I feel as though I have to work twice as hard just to learn what they already know.  So far though, I really enjoy it! Everyone here has been very supportive, answers my questions without judgement, and really help me to learn.  The main reason I chose MATC is I feel it is very affordable, I can go at my own pace, and most of all I can still work a full time job while taking classes!  I am excited for what the future holds, and am eager to learn more as well as share more of my experience with you as I go.