News Report #2

Apple-Samsung Case Shows Smartphone as Legal Magnet

By STEVE LOHR

Published: August 25, 2012

NY Times

“http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/26/technology/apple-samsung-case-shows-smartphone-as-lawsuit-magnet.html”

Nearing the end of August, the patent war between Apple and Samsung had come to a temporary close.  Apple beat Samsung in a $1.05 billion dollar lawsuit in San Jose, California for Samsung’s infringement on 6 of Apple’s patents.  Three or four of the patent infringements were design infringements; these dealt with the casing on the phones and tablet PC’s.  Evidently, many feel that the patent system has become extremely distorted.  Josh Lerner a patent expert and economist at Harvard University said “It is hard not to see all the patent-buying and patent lawsuits as a distortion of the role of patents, they are supposed to be an incentive for innovation.”  Samsung made a statement that they plan on challenging the jury’s decision.  James Bessen from Boston University’s law school said “The smartphone patent battles are enabled by lots of trivial patents that never should have been granted in the first place, that’s where Judge Posner was coming from in his ruling.”  The Apple-Samsung patent war was not the only problem recently; Apple also had a problem with Motorola, but the case was dismissed.  Obviously with the large sum of money at stake from this court case, it is going to send a message to all cell phone-developing companies.  Colleen V. Chien at Santa Clara Law School said ”This ruling sends a message to all the handset makers that you have to make truly differentiated products that look different, and that’s the message Apple wanted to send with its litigation.”  Unfortunately, it seems that there is not going to be an end to this patent battle until the regulations for obtaining patents becomes more strict.

Reading & Activity #2

When evaluating information that I read, I usually use a few different techniques to absorb it.  I try my best to go into reading the information with an idea of what I would like to take from it.  I try to read as analytically as possible, and I occasionally take note when I read something that I see as “worth remembering.” 

The two articles, “Information Navigation 101” by Andrea Foster, and “Authority Figures” by Mark Bauerlein both discussed the output and intake of information, and related it to today’s society.  Bauerlein focused much on the validity of information provided on “Wikipedia,” and then also talked about Encyclopaedia Britannica’s recent switch from books to the web.  He begins by talking about searching for information on Google, and how when one searches for a subject that 56% of the time Wikipedia is the number one search result and 99% of the time Wikipedia is on the first page of search results.  Since Wikipedia is “user-edited,” Bauerlein discusses how it is almost impossible to use the information on the site as a reference.  This relates to the evaluation of information, and is definitely something that I would take into account when reading any sort of entry on Wikipedia. 

In Foster’s article the focus is on information literacy, especially geared towards college students.  Foster makes the statement that although college students have a vast array of knowledge at their fingertips, the research process and work is hindered by the use of Google and Wikipedia.  From my experience, many professors prohibit the use of Wikipedia as a source when obtaining scholarly information; also I am aware of the site’s policy on the user editing so I would never cite Wikipedia regardless of a professor’s restrictions.  Foster also speaks on California State University’s policy that requires an information literacy course before graduation.  This idea is definitely helpful because I do realize that many college freshmen are not exactly keen on their research skills.  She also speaks about some schools such as Kent State University requiring students to take an information literacy exam as well.  All these things are helpful to make students aware about the best techniques to absorb information. 

Both articles discuss in depth different outputs, inputs, and approaches to evaluating information; which is definitely necessary for college students to be informed about.  Being educated as much as possible about the research process, and where our information is coming from is the most advantageous way to becoming a more informed researcher.

News Report #1

Saudi Oil Producer’s Computers Restored After Virus Attack
By: Reuters Published: August 26, 2012 URL: “http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/27/technology/saudi-oil-producers-computers-restored-after-cyber-attack.html”

On August the 15^th, there was a virus attack on the computer workstations of the world’s largest oil producer, Saudi Aramco.  The company had resumed operation on the 26^th after the virus was removed from the company’s computers.  Khalid Al-Falih, the oil company’s chief executive, made a public statement to the stakeholders, customers, and partners that the virus had no effect on the production, and distribution from the wellhead to the distribution network were not affected.  He continued by saying that everything was functioning as reliably as ever. 

            The company was investigating the virus attack, and the only information that they released was that it originated from “outside sources.”  Evidently information technology experts have been warning recently that computer attacks on countries’ energy infrastructure could disrupt energy supply.  They say that these attacks are most likely coming from hostile governments, militant groups, or private “hacktivists” to make political stands.

            Saudi Aramco was not the only company in the Middle East that has suffered from viral attacks.  The sanction of government that focuses on the oil industry has endured several computer attacks in the past few years.  Al-Falih also stated that Saudi Aramco was not the only company that was attacked and that he expected many more attacks.  He said that they were just going to heavily reinforce their protection to prevent another incident such as this one.

           

            My reaction to this NY Times article was somewhat mixed.  On one hand, I realize that many of these large oil companies in the Middle East are filled with corruption and probably deserved what happened to them; on the other hand oil is a necessity and if one of these companies were shut down for an extended period of time, prices would shoot through the roof.  The fact that a hacker, or group of hackers could shut down 30,000 workstations with a virus is quite unnerving.  The information that could possibly be one some of those workstations could be detrimental in the wrong hands.

Reading & Activity #1

“Is the Onslaught Making Us Crazy?”  A shockingly eye-opening article, written by Tony Dokoupil, about the correlation between the recent increase technology, and the changes that have taken place in society in recent decades.  Dokoupil begins by giving the controversial story of Jason Russell and his psychotic break after the explosive response to his “Kony 2012” video.  He uses this to show the reader’s one of many different examples of people obsessing over social media to excess. 

            Today, when going out into society and looking around, one thing that is glued to almost everyone is a cell phone.  Whether they are texting, facebooking, checking their email, talking on it, or playing games; they have one.  As Dokoupil tells us, American’ s spend an average of seven hours of screen time per day; whether that is on a computer or cell phone.  Although cell phones and computer have made many things in our every day lives entirely more convenient, one has to wonder when it becomes excessive and unhealthy.

            When interviewing my Mom about what it was like growing up without a computer or the Internet, it became increasingly clear that our society is definitely flying down a one-way road towards a very detached future.  I asked her what it was like when she was very young, and she responded by telling me that she spent much of her time outside playing with the neighborhood kids, she read a lot of books, and when she needed to call a friend she used her shared “party-line” with their next-door-neighbors.  She told me about high school, and how when she needed to research something that all of her information was obtained from the encyclopedias and periodicals.  This also was the way she did her research for college as well.  The most interesting thing to me about the interview was the networking aspect of her teenage and young adult years.  She informed me that throughout high school, networking revolved around school functions; such as sporting events, and club meetings.  Other than that, parties were arranged by word-of-mouth, and occasionally phone calls.  In college, to meet people she and her friends would hang out in the student union.  They would find out about parties there, and make their plans for the weekends that way.  

Reading Dokoupil’s article, and listening to my mom talk about the growing up process really opened my eyes to the fact that society is becoming increasingly disconnected.  Instead of children outside playing games, they are inside with their eyes glued to their video games.  Instead of calling someone you have not talked to in a while, people save time by just sending him or her a text.  Before it is too late, a balance needs to be found so that our society does not completely lose touch.