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CST 300 - Week 8: Final Week

What a busy final week! This week, our team finished our two videos about quantum computing. Have a look if you'd like:

https://youtu.be/DxJC6w-cibE

https://youtu.be/QHmqI9gOAtk

It was a very interesting experience learning about quantum computers and how they can change the future of computing, as quantum computing was something in the technology that I and my team members knew little about going into this project. Although most of the quantum computing work that has been done is in its very early stages, and some of the abstract quantum mechanics concepts still go over my head, learning the basics of quantum computing was both thought provoking and exciting. I hope to see quantum computers in wider use within my lifetime.

Team Video Reviews

I also reviewed three other team videos this week.

Northwestern Technology - The Ethics of Self-Checkout Technology

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxYsEzS6Zsw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMA1UXpb9lI

Northwestern Technology's topic was self checkout systems and their major disadvantage - namely, the adoption of these systems has caused a loss of jobs as humans have been somewhat replaced by machines in retail stores. It explained the topic well and provided a perspective that we don't think about often as humans as the convenience of self checkout systems tends to override any negative thoughts or downsides about them. The video was also well edited, and I especially liked the animated "hand drawings" in the shorter, public video. Lastly, both videos are appropriate for the audiences in question.

JAAZ Software - Blockchain 101

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y496hOyrLmE

https://youtu.be/WEGIUfzYdX4

JAAZ Software gave an overview of what the blockchain is, how it is being used, and its advantages and disadvantages in its use for retail transactions. 

The topic was well presented, clear, and made the blockchain's concept easy to understand. Although the format of both the "professional" and "general public" videos were mostly the same, I thought the content for both was well written enough that both professionals in the industry and the general public would consider them appropriate for their levels of knowledge. Also, the video was very well produced with good audio levels and clean visuals throughout. I think some soft background music would've made for a nice touch, but that is purely my personal preference.

ENKI Industries - Smart Homes and Smart Cities


https://youtu.be/EtgyVRZ4oE0



https://youtu.be/_2WA6WTVPco


ENKI Industries' videos are on smart home technology, its advantages and disadvantages, and theoretical smart cities, which incorporate smart and Internet of Things connected devices in a public, city-sized environment.

The topic was well researched and presented, and I especially liked the discussion about smart cities because the concept is futuristic, but I can see it becoming both an architectural and technological movement in the near future. The discussion in that part about facial recognition really struck a chord with me because that was the topics of my ethics paper, where I also discussed the pros and cons of using facial recognition for public mass surveillance. Additionally, I thought the overview of different types of home devices was well put together and a nice touch because most people don't know about these devices too well. In fact, at my old job I was surrounded by shelves full of things such as Nest cameras and thermostats, and few customers would ask me about them as most did not even know that these devices were supposed to fit in your home.

The only criticism I have is in terms of video production. In the smart cities section, the audio seemed slightly muffled and soft at parts and made it hard to understand. Also, the "shorter" video had a really nice theme and music, but I wish there would've been a voiceover instead of just text on the screen. I think this would make the video more appealing to the general public as not too many people (especially the public) enjoy purely reading text on a screen with no audio. However, both videos are appropriate for their audiences and I understood the subject matter in each well.



Overall - What I Learned

Overall, this class gave me a great overview of the technology industry, and especially the field of ethics, which I had known little about coming into this class. Learning about logical fallacies and ethical arguments will definitely serve me well in future academic pursuits, but life in general as well.  

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