MIS Spring 2015: February 2015

Wednesday February 25, 2015 - Class #12 - Excel HW #2 - Formulas and Functions

Directions for class today:

This is the second Excel class. We will work on formulas which is the backbone of spreadsheets.

Watch the Pre-recorded class video
Watch the four Youtube videos under my pre recorded class video
download the excel spreadsheet with data you will need to complete the exam
solve the problems within the downloaded excel spreadsheet
take the Classmarker Exam - Thursday February 26, 2015 thru Sunday March 1, 2015 midnight

Pre Recorded Class

Basic Formula

More Advanced Excel Formula

Excel Function

Excel Formula and Function

Technology Vs. Employment

BY: Takudzwa Pascor Feso

In as much as technology is important, it is adversely affecting the number of people employed in the world. Many companies are moving from labor to capital intensive so as to save on labor costs. For example, Wal-Mart is substituting it's shop assistances (cashiers) with self-service machines; most gas stations these days are self-service yet 20 or 30 years ago, there were people employed to serve customers. We can also take a look on the introduction of driverless cars. That means drivers will be substituted very soon and that will be another reduction in the employment. However, the manufacturers of these cars argue that driverless cars are not meant to replace drivers, but, if the car can drive itself why would I employ a driver?

With the introduction of robots, it looks like doctors and other people who work in the manufacturing industries will lose their jobs very soon. The way technology is evolving, in some years to come, robots will do surgeries. I personally think that the politicians, lawyers, investors, consultants and other people who do such kind of jobs are the only ones whose employment is less affected. I cannot imagine a robot campaigning to be the president. Well, someone can argue that people such as Computer Scientists will still maintain their jobs too because they are the people who program those robots. But, technology will still be evolving; what if there will be a robot that can do that job, that is, to program other robots? That means even the people who manufacture robots will still have a risk of losing their jobs.

The Internet of Things includes Home Lighting?

By: Anthony Ash

The Phillips Hue light bulb, introduced in 2012, uses the decade's old LED technology combined with wireless internet and a smartphone application to totally revolutionize your home lighting experience. Hue moves lighting from a fact of life to a personally, customizable experience, all the while using your current light fixtures. Hue uses LED lights capable of emitting virtually every color of the spectrum, a bridge to connect the bulb(s) (maximum of 50 bulbs per bridge) to the mobile application, the mobile application itself, and an online portal to allow users to customize their lighting experience.

Hue doesn't simply allow users to select light color and brightness, it allows users to improve their home security, better manage their time, improve their health, and create the perfect mood. Proper lighting is often sighted as a primary home burglary deterrent and Hue's ability to be turned on via the online portal, irrespective of where the owner is in the world, can help prevent burglary by remotely turning on lights before you arrive home at night. Hue's customizability can will replace your alarm clock. Hue users are no longer subject to often frighteningly loud noises to wake up in the morning, instead the Hue can be set to illuminate a natural color that mimics natural sunlight in the morning as well as colors that encourage one to fall asleep at night. Hue's internet connectivity can notify you of weather conditions by changing the color and even flashing the lights to represent weather conditions outside. Hue's understanding of lighting can improve your home theatre by constantly changing the lighting as your television moves from scene to scene. Wish you could relive that time on the beach in the Bahamas or that romantic dinner in Italy, upload the picture to your mobile app and Hue will adjust the lighting, immediately bringing you back to those times.

In short, the Hue light bulb will allow users to move lighting from a fact of life to an experience as unique as seeing a play at the theatre or a movie at their local cinema. The Hue light bulb would serve as a thermostat for users' home lighting as it constantly reacts to changes inside and outside of the room and to manual prompts from the Hue Lighting app. The internet of things does indeed include home lighting.

Mobile Networks Prep for the Internet of Things

By: Rodney Morris

Changes starting to take place behind the scenes in mobile networks may eventually pay dividends to anyone with a smartphone, a connected refrigerator or an IT department.

Carriers have done things pretty much the same way for years, with cellular base stations at the edge of their networks feeding into a series of specialized appliances at central facilities. Now they're virtualizing those networks in several ways, seeking the same rewards that enterprises have reaped by virtualizing data centers: efficiency and flexibility. The trend will be in full swing at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona next month.

It's good news for mobile users that they may not hear much about. A more efficient network leaves more free capacity for the video or application you want to run, and a more flexible carrier could quickly launch services in the future that you don't even know you'll need yet. The new architectures may even change how some businesses pay for mobile services.

Just as enterprises used to buy separate servers for each application, carriers often use dedicated hardware for each function involved in delivering a service, such as billing and authentication. Years of mergers have left multiple legacy platforms, adding to the mess. As a result, rolling out a new service for a customer, such as a VPN, can take weeks.

The new approach that's gaining ground, called NFV (network functions virtualization), turns each piece of the puzzle into software that can run on standard computing hardware.

NFV is a pretty well accepted idea now, though it may take years to be implemented in carrier networks. Companies such as Cisco Systems, Oracle, and the team of Nokia and NFV are now tackling the next challenge: making all those virtualized network functions work together as a coherent system instead of separate applications. They say getting all the speed and efficiency out of NFV means going deeper than hardware consolidation.

As NFV becomes a well-oiled machine, it should help carriers operate more like cloud computing providers and also develop entirely new kinds of services. The Internet of Things may demand it.

Google’s Mobile Payment Service

By: Rodney Morris

Google is on its way to beat the Apple Pay, the Cupertino, California-based tech giant's contact-less wireless mobile payment service.

The search giant's payment platform, with major focus on mobile, will be delivered by three out of the four top wireless carriers in United States, Verizon Wireless, T-Mobile, and AT&T, through phones running Android KitKat, and Android Lollipop.

With this multi-company partnership, Google will be able to capture a bigger market share, possibly bigger than Apple Pay. Android controls roughly 40 to 50 percent of the current American smartphone market, while the two newer version are installed on 41.3 percent of total Android devices worldwide.

The app called Google Wallet, will be pre-installed on Android smartphones, which means, the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S6, and other new flagship models will include the mobile application out of the box.

No word yet from Google if carriers will also deliver the app to current devices in the wild through a software update.

Google Wallet was introduced three years before Apple unveiled its payment service, but due to market's fragmentation, with major companies operating similar services, Google's platform has failed to gain enough market share to attract vital support from retail chains.

Amazon Prime Air: Is Drone Mail Delivery Too Much?

BY: Jarrett Theragood

When an individual hears the word drone, immediately there is an inference made. Initially, one may think of the pilotless aircraft used in combat or even the video game, "Call of Duty." I know those are things that I would associate with the term drone. It amazed me to read about the Amazon Prime Air program and to then add to my prior knowledge of the customary use of the pilotless aircraft a new definition as to what a drone may be used for. The new found meaning involved having mail shipped to a consumer's front door with use of drones.

Reading the Amazon Prime Air articles, I noticed that each author expressed their feelings in regards to having a drone ship any product from anywhere in the world to their front door. Immediately I began thinking of the many drawbacks to this system which initially seems as the perfect way for buyers to get their merchandise faster. This new system would take away the jobs of many deliverers and would also limit the amount of human interaction in mail delivery. The implementation of this new system would drastically affect the jobs of the men and women who deliver mail. The persons who deliver the mail would suffer a huge pay cut if not a complete termination of their job.

Additionally, if mail can be packaged and be dropped out of the air at one's doorstep, I feel as though anything may be delivered to anyone's house whether it is for them or not. People may be able to send perilous packages to one's doorstep. The lack of human interaction with the actual merchandise being delivered makes individuals more susceptible to being exposed to unsafe situations. There are also opportunities for packages to be taken by those people to whom they do not belong to.

One of the few pros I found there to be was the convenience aspect of the Amazon Air Prime program. There is a greater chance for consumers to receive their goods at faster rate than the conventional ground delivery. For instance, if a student needed a book for school and needed it immediately, they would have the option of having it delivered to their doorstep in an adequate amount of time. As we are an innovative generation, this program would allow for us to also ship things out last minute, especially if the sender has a habit of procrastinating. The swiftness in the moving of products is what would make this new system a more beneficial than any method of ground shipping.

Overall, I do believe it would be interesting to see a trial run of this program before it is fully implemented around the world. Buyers and sellers should weigh the pros and cons and thoroughly examine the details of the Amazon Prime Air system. More so, the jobs of the men and women who normally deliver mail should be considered before implementing a program that could eventually terminate their jobs permanently.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/04/24/amazon-delivery-lasership_n_5193956.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98BIu9dpwHU

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

Monday February 23, 2015 - Class #11 - Google Hardware

Google Hardware

Why is google getting into hardware? Glass, Nest, Car, Fiber and Robots.

GOOGLE GLASS

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JSnB06um5r4

GOOGLE NEST

GOOGLE CAR

http://youtu.be/X0I5DHOETFE

http://youtu.be/RrlHMltEaNo

GOOGLE FIBER

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_xRPA0CjJg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EefE4O4dX74

GOOGLE ROBOTS
Google bought Boston Dynamics in 2013.
It is the eighth robotics company that Google
has acquired in the last half-year.
Executives at the Internet giant are circumspect about
what exactly they plan to do with their robot collection.

http://youtu.be/QVdQM47Av20

http://youtu.be/cj83dL72cvg

Business With the Industrial Internet of Things

No Name? No Grade?

Smart vehicles and driverless cars were all the rage at the recent International CES in Las Vegas. But just imagine the business and economic potential that could be unleashed if such technologies could be applied to industrial sectors beyond consumer electronics. The positive impact on productivity and economic competitiveness would be staggering.

The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) is a fast-growing network of increasingly intelligent connected devices, machines and physical objects. Accenture estimates that it could add more than $10 trillion to the global economy by 2030. And that number could be even higher if companies were to take bolder actions and make greater investments in innovation and technology than they are doing today.

The good news is that, unlike driverless cars, the Industrial Internet of Things is already here, at least among the most forward-thinking companies. The challenge is that most businesses are not ready to take the plunge. According to an Accenture survey of more than 1,400 business leaders, only one-third (36 percent) claim they fully grasp the implications of the IIoT. Just seven percent have developed a comprehensive IIoT strategy with investments to match.

One of the reasons is the as-yet limited ability to leverage machine intelligence to do more than enhance efficiencies on the factory floor and evolve to create entirely new value-added services, business models and revenue streams.

So far, businesses have made progress in applying the Industrial Internet of Things to reduce operational expenses, boost productivity or improve worker safety. Drones, for example, are being used to monitor remote pipelines, and intelligent drilling equipment can improve productivity in mines. Although these applications are valuable, they are reminiscent of the early days of the Internet, when the new technology was limited primarily to speeding up work processes. As with the Internet, however, there is more growth, innovation and value that can be derived with smart IIoT applications.

Imagine a building management company charging fees based on the energy savings it delivers to building owners. Or an airline company rewarding its engine supplier for reduced passenger delays resulting from performance data that automatically schedules maintenance and orders spare parts while a plane is still in flight. These are the kinds of product-service hybrid models that can provide new value to customers.

Digital music and its affect on the music industry

By: Justin McKnight

Does digital music have a significant impact on the music industry? Of course, since streaming music has been heating up the amount of CD sales have declined tremendously. According to CNN since the launch of the iTunes store in April of 2003, sale has significantly decreased from $11.8 billion to $7.1 billion. However music has been selling more than ever during this period. With the combination of iPods and iTunes digital music became a trend however, iTunes has made the cheap digital single, which caused the sales to plummet.

Currently the top streaming sites are Youtube, Google, Spotify, and Soundcloud. These streaming websites are extremely harmful to artist because they see little to no money from these sites. In fact it is suspected that Spotify is not holding true to their payout structure. Many artist have opted not to license spotify for this reason. Google, which is the most influential company in the music industry, is in know way attempting to reduce piracy.

The amounts of people that actually pay for the streaming service remain low. According to Digital Music News 99.9% of all music artists do not make enough money from their music to live off of. The artist average annual salary is $34,455. Most music artist makes their money from other sources such as: clothing lines, appearances, fragrances, partnerships with liquor companies, etc. Another risk that a music artist must face is the constant threat of their music being leaked. This strays people away from purchasing the album or singles because the music is already out there before being released.

Reference

http://www.digitalmusicnews.com/permalink/2014/09/02/music-industry-99-problems

Mobile Networks Prep for the Internet of Things

No Name? No Grade?

Changes starting to take place behind the scenes in mobile networks may eventually pay dividends to anyone with a smartphone, a connected refrigerator or an IT department.

The new approach that's gaining ground, called NFV (network functions virtualization), turns each piece of the puzzle into software that can run on standard computing hardware.

As NFV becomes a well-oiled machine, it should help carriers operate more like cloud computing providers and also develop entirely new kinds of services. The Internet of Things may demand it.

Augmented Technology Being Discovered

Myles Pearson

Hey class, today my blog post will be discussing the augmented reality, which is creating new technology that is ideally human like. Augmented Reality live immediate or roundabout perspective of a physical, certifiable environment whose components are expanded (or supplemented) by PC created tangible include, for example, sound, feature, illustrations or GPS information. It is identified with a more general idea called interceded reality, in which a perspective of the truth is adjusted (perhaps even reduced instead of expanded) by a PC. Subsequently the innovation capacities by improving one's present impression of reality. Augmentation is customarily continuously and in semantic setting with natural components, for example, games scores on TV amid a match. With the assistance of cutting edge AR innovation (e.g. including PC vision and article distinguishment) the data about the encompassing genuine of the client gets to be intuitive and digitally manipulable.

Augmented Reality, or innovations that upgrade the normal world around your eyes with visuals, keeps on pulling in light of a legitimate concern for designers. In 2015, it will be received into more business applications.Intel Corp. INTC, +0.09% and Google as of late declared an organization that replaces Intel's chips with Texas Instruments' TXN, -0.17% as the brains of Google's cutting edge Glass. The two said they plan to elevate Glass to organizations, for example, healing facility systems and producers. Google has cooperated with engineers to manufacture applications particular to the working environment. Increased reality can likewise be utilized for preparing purposes, for example, in crisis circumstances or amid space or air travel. Sony uncovered a Google Glass-like headset at the titan Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas not long from now that can be fastened to an individual's consistent lenses and superimpose high-determination OLED pictures, features and content before an individual's eye. Sony supposedly plans to begin mass creating the shrewd eyewear later this 2015.

Wednesday February 18, 2015 - Class #10 - Google Search

Class requirements;
1) Watch the Prerecorded class video about Google Search
2) Exam will begin Thursday February 19, 2015 until Sunday February 22, 2015 at midnight

Google search is the number one way people find information and data. However, most people do not understand or even know about the embedded tools within Google Search that allows a user to become more efficient.

Today's class will introduce you to some of these tools.

Importance of Excel in the Workplace

By Rodney Morris

The issue is described in the appendix to JPMorgan's internal investigative task force's report. To summarize: JPMorgan's Chief Investment Office needed a new value-at-risk (VaR) model for the synthetic credit portfolio (the one that blew up) and assigned a quantitative whiz to create it. The new model operated through a series of Excel spreadsheets, which had to be completed manually, by a process of copying and pasting data from one spreadsheet to another. The internal Model Review Group identified this problem as well as a few others, but approved the model, while saying that it should be automated and another significant flaw should be fixed. After the London Whale trade blew up, the Model Review Group discovered that the model had not been automated and found several other errors.

Microsoft Excel is one of the greatest, most powerful, most important software applications of all time. Many in the industry will no doubt object. But it provides enormous capacity to do quantitative analysis, letting you do anything from statistical analyses of databases with hundreds of thousands of records to complex estimation tools . And unlike traditional statistical programs, it provides an intuitive interface that lets you see what happens to the data as you manipulate them.

As a consequence, Excel is everywhere you look in the business world, especially in areas where people are adding up numbers a lot, like marketing, business development, sales, and, yes, finance. For all the talk about end-to-end financial suites like SAP, Oracle, and Peoplesoft, at the end of the day people do financial analysis by extracting data from those back-end systems and shoving it around in Excel spreadsheets.

"Will technology advancement help or hurt our society?"

By: Wonnell Jones

How Does Technology Really Effect Society

In our recent history we have witnessed technological advancements rise exponentially. Some individuals think technology influences the general public positively, yet others think it has more adverse effects. I believe that while technology has its negative outcomes, it has various profits. In this article I am going to talk about some of its advantages and its negative impacts also.

Effects of Computers

A standout amongst the most developed creations of our time is the computer. It possibly the best creation ever (beside lights and phone) and we generally grow better approaches to enhance it. Computers influence numerous parts of our everyday life: communication, medicine, entertainment, mathematics, agriculture, business and all other sciences. Due to the always-growing influence of computers there may be many downsides. Society as a hole is beginning to decline intellectually as well as socially. In essence, computers are creating dumber, antisocial people. These days we no longer have to know how spell or make simple computations because our computers are capable of doing these things. People can meet each other and create a relationship with out every physically meeting each other. We can even order anything we need over the Internet and have it shipped to us. With all of this said we may soon have a world that where no one leaves their houses due to the advancement in computer technology.

In a world where people no longer have to travel to buy goods and services, what are the effects on our health?

The Effects of Technology in Our Society Today



				The Effects of Technology in Our Society Today

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The Correlation Between Technology and Obesity

The increasing amount of time that people spend using computers, playing video games and watching TV is a major factor in rising rates of obesity worldwide, according to a new study by the CDC. Chatterjee and DeVol studied the economies and obesity rates for 1988–2009 in 27 countries. They stated that "For every 10 percentage point increase in information communications technology investment as a share of gross capital formation, the obesity rate climbs 1.4 percentage point on average—or roughly 4.2 million people in a nation the size of the United States." With the world beginning to advance further and further technologically, methods need to be put in place so that we can maximize society's benefits and minimize the negative effects.

Technology and Obesity



				Technology and Obesity

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Google wants to advance the Internet of things

By: Rodney Morris

Google is setting up an open innovation and research program to push forward much of the research, standards, security, systems, and more that will feed into this connected society. Google plans to bring together a community of academics together that includes Google experts, and other parties to pursue an open and shared mission in the area of advancing the Internet of Things. Vince Chef stating that kicking off the new Open Web of Things program, Google is inviting research proposals from academics interested in embarking on a crossdisciplinary expedition intended to address the complex challenges and opportunities before us as we explore the next generation of systems, services and Internet connected devices."

Google wants proposals that address user interface and application development, privacy and security, and systems and protocols.

A number of grants will be made available, but the core underlying requirement is one of open innovation. The submission deadline was January 21, 2015, with successful proposals expected to be filtered out by spring. In addition to providing financial support, Google said it will serve up access to many of its own technologies to help with the research, including hardware, software, and other related systems.

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