Immovable Souls

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-57570274-37/apple-chairman-levinson-i-still-miss-steve/

A company needs a heart and soul to be extraordinary. Bill Gates (Microsoft), Sam Walton (Walmart),  Mark Zuckerburg (Facebook), and Steve Jobs (Apple), are remarkable entrepreneurs that became the soul of their company. Apple's current chairman Arthur Levinson recently said, "I'm still not to the point where I walk into that board room and don't miss Steve." Apple is the trophy of a man who became the heart and soul of his company. Apple was able to create new peaks in the industry of technology because it was driven by a wildly passionate man. From the time that Jobs passed, there is empirical evidence that Apple is now slipping from its once firmly-footed ground. The company's stock price is down 32% from 6 months ago, and there is no doubt that Apple will continue to suffer setbacks as they look forward.

Oppan Hacker Style

What attracts bright, talented computer experts to hacking? There isn't much difference between a computer hacker and a computer security expert. Both understand how to navigate and work operating systems, software, and computer hardware. The difference is purely ethical. And computer experts have an ethical responsibility to use their skills for good, just as a doctor or a lawyer has ethical responsibilities in his respective field. It is sad that some computer experts turn to hacking. And I wonder why they do. The story of The Cuckoo's Egg shows what happens when computer skills are put to wrong use. Lives can be destroyed. In the story, hacking is a means of feeding a cocaine addiction and ends in suicide. I wonder how many other drug addictions are being fed, or how many equally terrible ends are being met from hacking. I do not think that money is the real issue. Hackers are bright, talented people. A hacker gains a rush of confidence or self-satisfaction for showing that he can break into a secure system, or shut down hundreds of computers for a few days. It is the challenge that really turns computer experts to hacking. It is like a really big, hard puzzle that not many can solve. I think of Sherlock Holmes and his addiction to solving mysteries. It is the challenge that motivates Holmes to greatness. A hacker is motivated by pushing the limits of what has already been accomplished, and striving to prove that he can accomplish what others before him have not been able to.

Computers, Women, and the Bully Media

There are not a lot of women in computer science because of the media. The media encourages women to become physically beautiful and emotionally strong but not nerdy. In media productions, nerdy women usually get no love (remember- the media doesn't always reflect truth). I mean in TV shows and movies it is always the nerdy math girl that gets picked on and looks bad. Want to see a powerful and confident computer programmer in the media? Go watch The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. What I want to pass to you is that as long as math and computers are seen as uncool in popular culture, the number of women enrolling in computer science will stay low. As for me, I think it's hot! (In a sort of sin^2(x) + cos^2(x) = 1 kind of way)

Facebook on a Phone

http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/30/tech/social-media/facebook-mobile-users/index.html

More mobile Facebook users than desktop users? Another indicator of mobile dominance. The mobile Facebook app is easy to use and addictive. While it takes 5 minutes to check your Facebook on a desktop, it takes only moments on a mobile device. This concept extends to games, movie reviews, maps, and dozens of other apps. The mobile app industry will continue to boom because of convenience. Compare a mobile phone to a local 711. A quick visit to 711 for bread may be more expensive but much more convenient than a trip to a supermarket. Mobile devices also provide convenience for the user. Whether it be SportsCenter, Netflix, Flixster, or Google Maps, apps bring convenience and users are willing to pay for it. As long as this continues to be true, the mobile app industry will flourish.