The Smart Phone Revolution......

  Does anyone remember the the first cell phones? I was sitting here thinking while messing around with my Samsung Galaxy SII, about where this phone's roots truly are. I really can not say it compares to or resembles anything I used or saw almost 20 years ago. I mean, does it have that much in common with the old "bag phone"? Or how about even before that, remember the first real phone was a huge device that was installed in your car, well at least the first affordable one to me. It does make phone calls but that's about it, back then there was no SMS or email on a phone, so where does it come from??
  I think today's smart phone should be seen more as a laptop or netbook that has been shrunk to fit in my pocket and with the added convenience of being able to place a phone call. I would not even call it a hybrid of one of the other. It is a small computer. The phone I have currently honestly has about that same hardware configuration or power if you like as a laptop I owned not 2 years ago.
  The future of the mobile phone to me is probably the biggest thing happening in technology today. Moore's law can easily be seen in this area. Where will it lead us ? I do not know but it is one thing I watch daily and that I am truly fascinated and excited by!

Social Media the new Addiction??

  I have often thought of the impact of the social media "boom" and what it means to some in real life. I currently work in the mental health field at the moment and I work with a variety of different  mental health illnesses and issues affecting people.
  I know for a fact that there are people that have become so addicted to "social networking" that they have withdrawn from "real life." I searched around the web not to long ago and did some research on this subject, I was amazed at some of things and statistics I read. The article from Fox News I read probably was the one that really blew me away. Think about it, do you know anyone that suddenly has withdrawn? Have you ever met up with friends, just to sit there and watch everyone play on their phones?
  I think this will probably end up being a "Top 5 Mental Health Issue" before all is said and done, the violence in the world along with economic turmoil lends itself to this addiction as more and more people tend to stay at home due to fears or economic restraints. Read for yourself here at  http://socialmediagroup.com/2012/02/09/karly-im-addict/ , the confession of an addict.

Thinking about the OSI model...

  The OSI model (Open Systems Interconnection) that we researched in class is probably the most detailed thing I have ever read since returning to college and that is saying something considering all the law classes and procedure classes I have taken in the past.
I think it is the most fundamental of things that everyone in IT should understand and have a concept on. The OSI model is a map that subdivides the communication system into separate parts known as layers, with there being seven main layers. Anyone in the IT profession should know this all most by heart, or at least the main layers. It is a valuable tool in troubleshooting, planning, and design.
  While things change with each new wave of technology, the foundational elements of the OSI model remain the same. These can be applied over and over again to provide a crystal clear understanding of how the latest tech works.