Monday 18 March 2013

I Hear bout U Everywhere I Go!



In this week’s blog I am going to continue to write about how I think politics and the social media have become more entwined with each other in the sense of how easy, it is to be up-to-date with political news today.

In the manner we live today where everything is most often a click of a mouse away; the world has become much easier for us to be sync with the rest of the world and the daily news from across the global.  A major part of our lives which we like to admit it or not is politics. The reasons why we do certain things in our lives today are because of what the government officials, have allowed us to do or the laws they make in order for us to live like we do. Clearly enough most of us would like to stay in-touch with what happens in the world today and no-other news comes bigger than politics I feel.

In the past humans resorted to reading the newspaper in-order to be aware of what was going on around them and other things etc. Then the use of a radio became much easier to use as the presenters on the radio would just read out what interest stories had happened. Then the TV also was another source of information as, the television offered us news as well as visual image this became one of the most popular sources of information along with the newspaper. People going to work sitting on the tube or, on the bus couldn’t watch television on it, till one or two years ago so the newspaper seemed to be still, very useful in handy in the sense that you can read it wherever you may be.  So now we have reached an era where, searching news out on your mobile phones had become a better easier than buy a newspaper and having to flick through it all to find the news you wanted to know.

But now as our newspapers, television channels and radio stations gave us option and preference to what we actually enjoyed reading or listening so does the, option of download an app for your smartphones to allow you to be informed of the news around the world. We have evolved once again to reading news not from the paper though, from our mobile phones which saves us from buying the paper. We as humans like to do things that make it much simpler for us to live our life’s, and allow us to avoid things that may cause us to struggle obviously. With the newspaper it can be a hassle trying to read it on the bus or train especially if you haven’t got a seat or space to open it up and start reading it. Also it can be annoying when you have the sense of feeling that someone is reading over your shoulder which seems too happened a lot, when sitting on public transportation. Also if you are reading the paper outdoors and it starts to rain, the newspaper obviously cannot escape the fact that it will become ruined and no longer useful.

The mobile phone is our own personal device which people tend not to look at when you are on transportation that is public. Save you from buy the paper as it would kind of be more convenient for certain people, rather than carrying a newspaper around with you all day. Also could help prevent global warming as you’re less likely to buy the paper and then throw it away without recycling it.

To sum up what this blog was about is that the source of our information is slowly adapting for us to make it easier for us to receive it and keep us in touch with news, virtually from anywhere with internet access in the world.

See What Is Physically Not There!



In this week’s blog I am going to talk about how the world is evolving in to virtue news that can be viewed and operated by with our own current mobile phones. Augmented technology is claiming to be the future of how we read or view things in the world today so, I'm going to see if that is the case and how relevant the technology is to us.
In this day and age so far augmented reality is merely just a concept of how we will view the news and maybe stream videos sometime in the future. Right now newspapers and the internet are the fast way of finding out news or information about things the concern us, also considering the television as well. So far these technologies I speak of have been relatively good to us for some years now so, to speak of something that might surpass easiness of the use of the newspaper and maybe even searching online seems to be unheard of till now. Here’s a brief video of just what some augmented realities have to offer:


You can clearly see in the video above just how easy and convenient the technology could serve to be for us especially as, we can be able to start using it from our current mobile phones now. When things are very simple and clear to use the more likely everyone will be expected to also use it too, due to the good reviews obviously been given to it from others. But viewing this video you’re most likely thinking that this technology won’t be available for at least another two to three years but that’s where you’re wrong. Augmented reality is slowly starting to develop now as we speak and the early signs of life are, slowly creeping through.


Aurasma is a company that develops augmented reality currently and has one of its software’s, Auras actually available for download in the app store and, in the android market. For more information on what the application does and more about the company take a look at their website: http://www.aurasma.com/aura/. If you have a smartphone download the app for yourself and test out exactly what the application does for you and what you feel about it. And if you like it tell a friend to start the viral trend flowing, so you know what going on and aren’t left behind. 




Wednesday 6 March 2013

Digital Politics



In this week’s blog I am going to blog about how the digital world is slowly becoming integrated with politics and how it affects the public today. I’ll start of by explaining what I mean when I say the digital world is becoming integrated with politics which is; Politicians know that by using various medias such as, television, radio and even the web to broadcast their messages out it is much more likely people will watch them or listen to them. So as time moves along becoming more technological and simplified, politics is also finding its way to adapt to the changes which the world is finding itself to be in.

‘On 26 September 1960, 70 million U.S. viewers tuned in to watch Senator John Kennedy of Massachusetts and Vice President Richard Nixon in the first-ever televised presidential debate. It was the first of four televised "Great Debates" between Kennedy and Nixon. The first debate centered on domestic issues.’-reference from: www.museum.tv/. JFK and Nixon exposed the world to a new way of including politics to the lives of the public without them even leaving their own house, to find out what is going on. The so called “Great Debates” happened to be very influential in the US I say this because ‘John F. Kennedy was a relatively unknown senator from Massachusetts. He was young and Catholic — neither of which helped his image — and facing off against an incumbent. But by the end of the evening, he was a star.’ -Read more: http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,2021078,00.html.

It is very clear that television has become an important tool for politicians today but, unlike the 1960s JFK proved himself to be a great character and president by using the television form of media, but in today’s world there are so many other ways that MP and the PM have to present themselves to be a worth leader.  In October 2012 British Prime Minister David Cameron opened up an account on the social networking site called, twitter. I doubt he actually wanted to open up the account himself but, obviously his P.R. manager that it would be a good idea to show the country that he is with the current times of technology. ‘The Tory leader clocked up more than 50,000 followers within hours of his debut, but was following just four other posters – the Conservative party, William Hague, Boris Johnson and Jeremy Hunt. ’ But although he had received more than an I quote ’50,000 followers’ he then was presented with the other side of having too many people following you.  David Cameron has signed up to Twitter, prompting users of the social networking site to inundate him with hundreds of hostile messages.’-Reference from: http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2012/oct/07/david-cameron-joins-twitter.

In the UK, the 2010 general election was the first ever time the three main parties in the UK consisting of Labour party represented by then Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Conservatives represented by David Cameron and, Liberal Democrats leader Nick Clegg also representing his party. This was the first time ever parties in the UK had ever had the chance to go toe to toe with each other on television in the run-up before votes were casts. This was just as major and influential as JFK’s first television debate was as; Nick Clegg was also a relatively unknown name as well before emerging on the scene in 2010 taking over from former Lib Dem leader, Vince Cable. ‘Gordon Brown tended towards waffle and repetition, often seeking refuge in reams of statistics; and Nick Clegg sought to appear relaxed, confident and the voice of sweet reason, playing the other two against each other – with some success, it must be said. In terms of policy, we learned little that we did not know already. Mr Brown was weak on immigration, unconvincing on crime and perversely thinks he has a strong hand to play on the economy, despite presiding over the country's worst ever deficit. Mr Clegg had the advantage of leading a party that has not been in government for 80 years, so could not be blamed for the mistakes of the past.’-Reference: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/election-2010/7595960/Election-2010-Clegg-uses-first-TV-debate-to-best-effect.html

It’s clear to see that the television debate also was useful here as well, the media and public all gave Nick Clegg positive responses other than the David Cameron and definitely Gordon Brown. Politics and the media are definitely a major force in the world, and will always use the media to spread their messages to the whole world.