2nd post
Hi everyone! I'm super late, and I'm later than YJ!Ok, down to the discussion on convergence and what we learnt in class!
Convergence, what do we know about that? To me it means the convergence of needs, or rather the convergence of convinience. Multifunction devices such as the cellphone, computer and services that run them are hot property right now. Even Starhub and Singtel are vying to provide convinient all-in-one payment/services for the landline phone, cellphone bills and high speed internet. Look, even bills are converging!
As far as technology can go, there will be a limit to such convergence of new technologies. We people will somehow always turn to the most basic of instincts and functions. Look at cellphones with superb megapixel cameras, web browsing capabilities, and the most useless of applications like bank account balancing. How far have these techologies gone? Aside from the price involved for such pricey gadgets, a phone to us will always be a mean for communication.
If a simple device goes through a transformation and ends up a complex bit of technology, won't it end up to our inconvinience? Take for example a can opener, they have complex little can opening machines that open your cans neatly, but then again won't it be more of a hassle to use something so big to solve a small problem? That's exactally what our cellphones and computers have become. The technology craze has driven people to build bigger, better, faster machines but are we really using these techonologies to its full capability? (Like what Ms Kwa highlighted in our last lecture, we're only using a tiny percentage of our computer's processing power!)
People are simple beings, and we seek the easiest solutions (no brainer) to our problems. Turn on the tv instead of booting up the computer (to watch your fav dramas) or pick up a calculator instead of weaving through the countless applications embedded in the phone just looking for the calculating function.
Convergence might not make our lives so simple after all!
Min
posted by min @ 3:37 PM
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