Australian Aborigines

          Aborigines, as referred to thefreedicitionary.com, is, “A member of the indigenous or earliest known population of a region: a native” in which this case means the natives that have been in Australia for 40 to 60 millenniums. They were the first people to set foot on this continent which came to be known as Australia now. Their arrival to this continent is described as the dreamtime which is known as the beginning of time when the spirits came to create the world as we know it. This “Dreaming” is somewhat similar to spirituality and according to Wikipedia (2013) it is like a space or world in which spirits dwell. Before and after life the spirit child exists in the dreaming and comes out in the form of a baby through a mother’s womb during her 5^th month of pregnancy. When the mother feels a kick or movement that is coming from the baby this was thought to be the work of the spirit of the land where the mother was standing on. When the child comes out of the womb it is considered to be a part of the country where the mother first felt the movement of the child in the womb. The child is then taught the stories and songlines of that specific place. As Wolf (1994: p. 14) states: "A black 'fella' may regard his totem or the place from which his spirit came as his Dreaming. He may also regard tribal law as his Dreaming."

          It is believed that all natural elements are transformations of the spirits that rose during dreamtime. The spirits are said to make up the land that we see such as rivers, lakes, mountains, hills and caves. The aborigines look at these spirits the same way as how Christians, Muslims view God and Allah respectively as their gods. The aborigines believe that these spirits are alive in and around Australia so that is why they treat the land as sacred.  This is similar to how Maori people view the land in the same way as the aborigines in which the land is sacred and is made up of Wairua which is Maori for spirits. The Maori people also believe that the land is made up of spirits and also that it is sacred in which in their own language translates to “Tapu”. 

Figure 1. This picture shows the areas covered in the Dreaming

          The stories by the aborigines are considered to be sacred and are kept secret from the outside world and only bound to them. These stories are told in series by elders, much like how we are watching tv series but this is from the aborigines themselves and it is called a dreaming trail in which they use symbols to tell the stories. Young men learn how to translate these symbols so that they can then transfer the stories later to their young ones. The scientific explanation as to how the aborigines came to Australia is simple: they walked to Australia. Studies within the last decade have shown that there is a possibility that all humans came from Africa in the last 200,000 years. Dr. Toomas Kisivild and his team believe that the aborigines walked from Africa to Eurasia and from there, they spread out from India along the coastlines of Southeast Asia where they then travelled over a land bridge connecting Australia to Asia. Over the years, the sea level rose and covered the land bridge that they used to travel and this made the aborigines isolated for thousands of years.

Gathering Food

          Australian aborigines in the early years of coming to Australia did not keep any domestic animals or farm fruits and vegetables but instead they head out into the wild with limited weapons which were made from wood and stone. They use these tools to hunt small and large animals like wallabies up until full sized emus. The women in the community were responsible for gathering vegetables, fruits, and roots. (Howstuffworks,2013). Aborigines living near the coastal area of Australia rely on the ocean for their food source. They headed out into the sea and dove down to grab shellfishes. These people are well known for being able to keep their breath for up to 4 minutes and also dive as deep as 60 meters under the sea to gather sea food.(pachamamatrust.org).  

Figure 2. This picture shows aboriginal people gathering water lilies

          They travel out to sea by building a boat that looked like a flattened canoe and were made up of brush and bark which, if left at the sea for too long would disintegrate as the boat became waterlogged. These boats, other than being used for fishing was also used to cross rivers and estuaries as well as visiting the offshore islands along the Queensland coast. There are actually 4 different types of canoes that Australian aborigines use which are :

Dugout Seafaring Canoe (Queensland) - This was thought to have been introduced to Australia by the fishermen that are in Indonesia. The aborigines made this canoe by cutting down a softwood tree which was roughly shaped and hollowed out after it is cut down. The final shaping of the canoe was done at the edge of the water. They perform caution when working the sides of the boat so as to achieve a uniform thickness.(espace.library,n.d)

Figure 3. This shows how artwork looks on the canoe

Figure 4. This picture shows the construction of the canoe

Stitched bark Seafaring Canoe (Central and Southern Queensland) -  This type of canoe is made up of a birch bark and is held up together with roots from plants that are strong and flexible enough to be able to hold the boat in one piece. The most common type of root to be used is the black spruce.(Bill Buxton, n.d)

Figure 5. This picture shows how stitches are on this type of canoe.

Folded-ends bark canoe (Southeast Australia) – This type of canoe is made up of bark that comes from mountain ash, a tree which is grown in east of Melbourne. Metal straps that were taken from a wooden barrel were used to shape the canoe and the ends of the canoe were tied with handmade rope or European twine (Museum Victoria, n.d).

Figure 6. This picture shows the folded end bark canoe

Bundle of bark and reed canoe (Tasmania) – They used three to five bundles of bark and reed which is tied together with fibre cord and tapered at the ends to make the tip and end of the boat rise from the water which prevents water from entering the canoe. They used poles to move the canoe in the same way we paddle on a kayak. Although they used the same technique to build boats, the building of the canoes with each region differs in the type of wood they used for example they use stringy-bark type in the south, the paper-bark in the north-west and reeds were used in the east. (shapingtasmania.tmag.tas.gov.au, 2013)

Figure 7. This figure shows the canoe made of bark and reed

 Music

Figure 8. This figure shows an aboriginal Australian blowing the "Didgeridoo"

          Other than hunting for food the other favourite pastime of Australian Aborigines would be to indulge themselves in music and dance. It was considered to be a large part of the culture along with storytelling.  All three of those aspects were covered in a story that would be given to the community about the dreaming and the storytelling was also used to say thanks to the spirits that are surrounding them. The people would also ask for things like to increase the rate of fertility or even rain in which they would have a “rain dance” that would be like asking the spirits for rain. One of the most interesting thing from  this culture would be the musical instruments. It is called the “Didgeridoo” and it is made by allowing termites to feast on the internals of a piece of wood. After this is done the aborigines would cut the instrument shorter which would make the sound coming out of the instrument produce low hums from the vibrations that are created from the user blowing through the hollow tube. Different tribes use the didgeridoo in formal ceremonies as well as major events. The telegraph, 2010 states that Australian scientists have found this musical instrument to be able to improve breathing and overall health from deep and circular breathing that is required when playing the instrument. Girls were not allowed to play this instrument because it is against the culture of the community.  

Aborigines in the 21^st century

Figure 9. This figure shows Aboriginal children in class

          Most of the aborigines in Australia have had their lives improved by moving into the city and leaving back their traditional way of life. It is said (Australian Bureau of Statistics, n.d) that 2 per cent from the whole population of Australia are an aborigine which is a very small number. They have very low standard of living and are at times very poor. Their way of life mostly consists of alcohol and violence which would be bad for the community of Australia. The elderly people try to prevent violence in the younger generation by bringing them to sacred sites and by teaching them how it was before their people headed into the city. There are still a small percentage of aborigines living in the rural areas of Australia, out of the busy city and they try to keep the tradition of their people as long as they are alive as the younger generations are slightly leaning towards the modern city life. The elderly people try to spread their tradition and history by means of hiring teachers to train students in the traditional aboriginal language. A few radio and tv stations offer programs that are fully spoken and shown in aboriginal language. A similar situation can be found here in New Zealand where there is a dedicated channel called “Maori Television” in which the programmes are in Maori and this would serve to keep the maori tradition alive among New Zealanders. This channel also teaches people about the traditions and language of the maori people which is good because it keeps the tradition alive and going. 

Art         

Figure 10. This figure shows how an aboriginal artwork looks like

          Other than keeping the tradition alive, aborigines are well known for their artwork and the artwork that they produce can be sold at a high price as it is a well demanded item.  Some aborigines make their living by painting this masterpiece and sell them to the general public of Australia and to the world. The art that are produced by the origins are considered to be like the dreaming where it is sacred and secret. People who have a greater knowledge of aboriginal history only are allowed to see the artwork but that has change recently as these people have to support their family by providing these paintings. These come in different shapes and sizes and vary from paintings, beadwork, woodwork, bark paintings to baskets. They also make the most famous thing that Australia is known for - the boomerang. Not all of the creations of the aborigines are available for sale though which can be found on the walls of caves. Ayers rock is one of those sacred places which the locals refer to as built by their ancestors. The drawings on the walls come from the dreamings of the aborigines and until now scientists have not been able to interpret the drawings and at the same time it is being kept secret by the people.

Figure 11. This picture shows how artwork looks like on a boomerang

 This next youtube video tells the history of the aborigines saying that they might be from asia an came 50-120,000 years. This video also showed how the people progressed from the coastal areas to inland areas like lakes and rivers. This video also tells us that the people who goes into another tribe’s territory should ask for permission to enter the territory. It is also said in this video that the colonization from the British brought in diseases such as chicken pox and many other diseases.

 References

-          - Wikipedia. (2013). Dreamtime. Retrieved from :http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dreamtime

-          - Ryan Johnson (2013). How Aborigines Work. Retrieved from : http://people.howstuffworks.com/aborigine1.htm

-          - Pachamamatrust.org(n.d), Spearfishing. Retrieved from : http://pachamamatrust.org/f2/1_K/fish/Da_SPEAR_KFi.htm

-          - Shaping Tasmania (2013). Tuylini (Stringyback Canoe). Retrieved from : http://shapingtasmania.tmag.tas.gov.au/object.aspx?ID=35

-          - Espace.library(n.d., Archaeology Papers. Retrieved from : http://espace.library.uq.edu.au/eserv/UQ:272904/Archaeology_papers_No10_Paddle_your.pdf

-          - Bill Buston (n.d). Collecting and preparing roots for sewing and lashing. Retrieved from : http://www.billbuxton.com/canoe02.html

-          - Billy Kenber (2010). New treatment for asthma : the didgeridoo. Retrieved from : http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/6996124/New-treatment-for-asthma-the-didgeridoo.html

-          - Wikipedia (2013). Aboriginal Australians. Retrieved from : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aboriginal_Australians

Emerging Technology : Growing food on your face

          Carbon Dioxide (CO2) is a gas that we can encounter everyday in our lives. I say everyday because the moment we exhale, we introduce carbon dioxide into the air. Carbon dioxide is used by plants to grow which is like food for them and in turn they supply us with the oxygen that we breath in. About.com (n.d) says that carbon dioxide at ordinary levels is non toxic and it can also be found in baking products such as baking soda which introduces carbon dioxide bubbles into the food to make it rise. It is also stated that carbon dioxide is among the safest chemical that can be encountered. Heavier levels of exposure to carbon dioxide may result in poisoning and even in some cases, death.

          Algae as referred to by Allaboutalgae.com (n.d), are simple plants that can come in all shapes an sizes and in this case microalgaes or in a bigger size which are popular to japanese as they have them as a snack, seaweed. It is called a simple plant because the demands for these plants to grow are not much and even water that is not clean and filtered can be used to grow algae. Algae grows through photosynthesis which means that it converts sunlight, carbon dioxide and a few nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorous into something called biomass. Algae can also grow in the dark with the use of sugar or starch in a process called "heterotrophic" growth or even combine the process of both which is called "mixtrophic" growth. Algae can be found almost everywhere, even in our household aquarium. It is the foundation for the aquatic food chain as it provides fishes with food and most importantly supply 70 per cent of the oxygen we breath. 

Figure 1. This shows how the invention looks in real life

          These two things relate to each other because algae needs carbon dioxide to be able to grow. This is how creative scientists found a way to grow food on your face. Inventors and designers Michael Burton and Michiko Nitta(Yahoo health, Aug 2013) invented the algae mask which has plastic transparent tubes that runs across the face and all the way to the shoulders and back. The end of the tube is then put in to the mouth of the wearer. This works by the wearer supplying essential carbon dioxide that is required by the algae to grow into the tubes. The transparent tubes allow sunlight to pass through so that photosynthesis can be achieved by the plants which makes them grow. 

          The two inventors has their definition to this : "Algaculture designs a new between humans and algae. It proposes a future where humans will be enhanced with algae living inside new bodily organs, allowing us to be semi-photosynthetic. Almost enabling us to become plant-like by gaining food from light. As such, we will be symbionts (meaning that both entities entirely depend on each other for survival), entering into a mutually beneficial relationship with the algae."

Figure 2. This shows the layout of the product mentioned.

           The concept of this invention is to have food available on your face and also this invention aims to promote the symbiotic relationship between humans and plants in a way that both are sustaining each other which in definition (thefreedictionary.com, 2013) means a close prolonged relationship between two or more organisms that are different in species which in this case are the humans and the plants. The definition also states that it may or may not benefit each member as in this case the humans will eat the plants but the algae will keep on growing as there is a constant supply of carbon dioxide and sunlight. There was an opera at the Digital Design Weekend at the V&A where an opera singer wears the symbiotic mask over her head to her back. She then sings to the audience and due to the fact that the algae's growth is dependant on the amount of carbon dioxide it receives, the singer used different pitches and tones to alter various characteristics of the algae which makes it either sweet or bitter through a process called "sonic enhancement". At the end of the performance the audience was allowed to taste the product of her singing. The video below shows two hosts explaining and discussing this emerging technology. They also said that you would be tasting someone's bad breath which i think is quite gross to me. symbiotic relationship

 

Societal Impact

          One of the effect this invention has to the human is that we would not be needing to find food sources in times of food shortage and we would be constantly having a food source but it would need time to grow as it can not just happen in a few seconds. The effect of wearing this technology on ourselves would deem fashion accessories useless and we would not  be able to protect our eyes from the sunlight with the use of sunglasses. The other thing is that it makes us look like aliens. This invention would mostly be supported by vegetarians as they can be seen to accept it more than regular people who has vegetables, meats and fruits in their diet system. A study shows that consuming algae in a regular diet would cause a person to lose weight when it was consumed together with a traditional Japanese diet. Seaweed has been the food of island cultures for centuries(Yahoo Health, 2013) and it is rich in important vitamins such as calcium, iodine, iron, magnesium and potassium. Solazyme, which is a company that makes products such as butter and oil with algae as its base helps in providing us with better health when consuming their products which as the company states that manufactured food can have a lower amount of calories, saturated fat as well as cholesterol. This invention would have a very positive effect with less negative traits to it in a way that it promotes better health and healthier lifestyle. Other than being used as a food source, algae is also used to power machinery as it is being developed as a biofuel.

     

          

         

References

-Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D (n.d). Carbon Dioxide Poisoning. Retrieved from : http://chemistry.about.com/od/medicalhealth/a/Carbon-Dioxide-Poisoning.htm

-All about algae.com. (n.d) What are Algae? Retrieved from : http://allaboutalgae.com/what-are-algae/

- Kimberley Mok. (August 2013). Eating Sunlight : Algaculture suit proposes symbiotic bond between humans and algae. Retrieved from : http://www.treehugger.com/sustainable-product-design/algaculture-suit-proposes-symbiotic-bond-between-humans-and-algae-burtonnitta.html

- Burton Nitta. (2013). Projects by Michael Burton & Michiko Nitta . Retrieved from : http://www.burtonnitta.co.uk/index.html

-  Brian Krans (Aug 2013). The Future of Food : Growing Your Own Algae? Retrieved from : http://health.yahoo.net/articles/nutrition/future-food-growing-your-own-algae

- io9.com (Sept 2012). Opera singer grows algae on her face by feeding it with her breath and then the audience eats it. Retrieved from : http://io9.com/5946858/opera-singer-grows-algae-on-her-face-by-feeding-it-with-her-breath-and-then-the-audience-eats-it

 

Module 3 : Ethics

Workplace Ethics & Social Network

          The internet was created in 1960's and is used as a tool to solve issues relating to getting hosts to communicate with each other(computerhope.com, "Who invented the internet?", Para 5). It was used to send and receive messages to people across a vast distance away. The internet as we know today is perceived as an information highway where we can get all sorts of information by just typing it in a search box. In this technological age, it is said that information is just at our fingertips and a lot of things that we have today have internet integrated in to them so we can go about our daily lives as well as communicate with peers and also families and friends. Even cars are starting to implement internet into their system so that communication through the internet for businessmen for example can communicate with each other to get the deal done. People rely too much on internet these days which affects their lives one way or another. For example digital maps that are already included into our phones with a GPS as well these days provide quick details of where we are without needing us to find it like how we would do in a traditional way by looking at a paper map. 

         

          Wikipedia states that "The workplace is the physical location where someone works. Such a place can range from a home office to a large office building or factory. The workplace is one of the most important social spaces other than the home, constituting "a central concept for several entities: the worker and his/her family, the employing organisation, the customers of the organisation, and the society as a whole". The development of new communication technologies have led to the development of the virtual workplace, a workplace that is not located in any one physical space." Most of the workplace in and around the world has computers that are used by workers as a tool to type in information to keep track of items and inverntories, as well as look for a person for example in the database. Other than that the computer itself is used for work purposes only. Since social networking has become a buzz these days, most people have accounts to keep up with friends and families. Office workers spend their idling time on social networks posting things and not concentrating on work itself which turns them in to less efficient workers. A study that is done by the Ethics Resource Centre to active social networkers states that 72% of these workers are likely to change employers within the next five years compared to the other 39% who are non-active social workers. Is social networking in the workplace considered an ethical practice? There are pros and cons to using social network in the workplace. A survey done by Workplace Media states that 78 per cent of people spend less than 30 minutes on social networking sites. 

This youtube video explains the disadvantages of the social network in the workplace and how it affects the behavior of the employee as well as the company itself:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uLG9jwgAios. 

This video also states the importance of having policies in companies that restricts the use of social media in the workplace. Other than that it explains how the National Labor Relations Act affect the rights of the employee posting things. This video also shows the importance of information sharing in the social media network and how it would affect potential customers.
This next video will show the statistics that are involved in social networking at the workplace : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vE6AjPXZpq0

Figure 1 : Study showing how much time is spent on Social networking sites

Is this a good practice or not and how does this affect work? Employers would be happy to know if their workers were not on social networking sites all day and concentrate on the work given to them. Social networking are considered distractions that decreases the productivity of workers. Due to the ease of passing on messages in social networks, workers tend to express their feelings in social sites and also they might expose confidential information that has been prohibited by the company. Workers also say what they feel about the company itself(Colleen Taylor,Study : Social networkers have more ethics problems at work, para 5) like negative comments and thus make the company have a bad name to the public making future employment of workers difficult due to this comment. 

Figure 2 : Research done by Microsoft.

         

           A study done by Microsoft proves otherwise by saying that the use of social media actually increases work productivity. The study states that, "Nearly half of employees report that social tools at work help increase their productivity, but more than 30% of companies underestimate the value of these tools and often restrict their use." Microsoft did a survey with  9,908 information workers in 32 countries (Ms. Smith, Microsoft Study shatters myth, 2013, para 4) and found that 39% of employees don't get along or collaborate well in their workplaces much which can be due to the fact that they are not communicating well amongst each other due to the restriction of use of social networking sites. The study shows that 40% of the people in the workplace believe that the use of social networking sites promotes better teamwork amongst colleagues which is a good thing as workers get together more to increase productivity in the workplace which is good for the employer as well as the company itself. Social networking sites are also used by workers to have a time of relaxation or a short period off of work to relieve stress so that they are more ready to do work without stress. According to Microsoft, social networking will be able to make the pace of work faster, just like how email did when it came in the 90's where information could be transferred much faster to workers as well as managers or businessmen. Social network would be the next thing to come after the email that will definitely improve the work pace and increase productivity which is good for the company. 

          Financial sectors prove to be the one which is the most strict when it comes to information sharing on social networking sites as information of customers could be compromised and identity fraud might be the effects of information sharing. That is why social networking in financial sectors are only due to security concerns only not any other reasons. Those that are working in retail and travel departments have said that this decreases the productivity levels in the workplace.

  The effect it has on society

          The social network itself has undoubtedly give benefits as well as negatives. This has been proven by the research done by Microsoft. Workers are working better as a team with the use of social networking at the workplace which is a good thing as it increases the productivity as well as the profit of the company itself. Social networking sites have been with us for a while and it will be here for many more years to come, just like how email is being used until today. They will be used in the workplace and employers will finally begin to understand the benefit that it gives to the workplace and therefore it can be used to increase productivity in the office itself. Live conferencing through social networking also makes the need for traveling not required which can save the cost of traveling from one place to another as well as provide a greener form of communication between peers which in turn is good for the environment as well.

          Long lasting bonds can be formed between colleagues from social networking sites as this bond is important in that it ensures that workers can communicate with each other not only in work but also out of work where they can socialize and maybe get work done as well. The bad effect that social networking has on people is that it makes people so attached to it that when they go out for a drink of coffee they would be communicating with their friends online rather than communicating with their friends at the table. Communication would be sparse and also a negative perception of this person would be had and friendship would be a thing of the past. 

 

References

-Ms. Smith (2013). Microsoft study shatters myth, says social media use increases work productivity. Retrieved from : http://www.networkworld.com/community/blog/microsoft-study-shatters-myth-says-social-media-use-increases-work-productivity

-Wikipedia(2013). Workplace. Retrieved from : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Workplace

-Mark Walsh (2009). Survey : Social Networks Not So Hot In The Workplace( And No One Cares). Retrieved from :http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/109046/#axzz2fOYPRwMg

-Colleen Taylor (2012). Study: Social networkers have more ethics problems at work. Retrieved from :http://gigaom.com/2012/01/06/social-networking-employee-ethics/

-Microsoft News (2013). Bring your own service: Employees want social tools at work, despite company restrictions and hesitation, reports new Microsoft survey. Retrieved from: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/news/press/2013/may13/05-27socialtoolspr.aspx

          Communication, according to nwlink (1997) " is the exchange and flow of information and ideas from one person to another; it involves a sender transmitting an idea, information, or feeling to a receiver (U.S. Army, 1983). Effective communication occurs only if the receiver understands the exact information or idea that the sender intended to transmit."

          Communication between people in the past was by doing it face to face as there were no device created to allow people to communicate without meeting that person. Before the creation of the mobile phone people communicate by sending mails as well as telegraphs. Mails would need days to arrive and also took time because the letter had to be put in an envelope and be sent to the post office. Other means of communication other than the letter was by using telegraph. The telegraph (Wikipedia, 2013) was used to send messages by using codes that should be understood by both senders and receivers in order for the message to be able to be passed through successfully. The first telephone was created by Sir Alexander Graham Bell in the 1800s which allowed people to communicate with each other within a short distance and by 1886 more than 150,000 in the United States owned telephones. He made advancements and various improvements to the telephone and after acquiring the carbon microphone patent which belonged to Edison from Western Union his telephone was able to make calls from a longer distance as well as made calls better so that the caller would not need to shout at the phone in order for the person on the receiving side to hear them speak. In January 1915, the first transcontinental phone call was made between New York and San Francisco through a 3,400 mile length wire. Before this, in October 1876 they were only able to communicate with a 2 mile length wire stretched from Cambridge to Boston, (Wikipedia,Alexander Gaham Bell, Later Developments, para 5). The breakthrough of communication is from the invention of the mobile phone which allows people to connect wirelessly between each other without needing to meet the person face to face which means that communication can be done even though the person is far away in another place. This means phone calls can be made even when the caller is outside the house which is good as important calls can be attended to without needing to sit at the couch and wait for the telephone to ring. The first mobile phone was created by Martin Cooper in April 3, 1973 (The History of Mobile Phones, 2013, para 2). Martin Cooper was the senior engineer over at Motorola and the phone he made weighed 1.1kg which is heavy by today's standards. The prototype made allowed only half an hour's worth of talk time and required a whole 10 hours in order for it to charge fully.

Figure 1. Timeline of mobile phones.

          Motorola released its first commercial mobile phone called the DynaTAC 8000x which allows 30 minutes of talk time which is not much compared to the first prototype but this mobile phone can be on standby for six hours and could store a mere 30 phone numbers. In the early stages of the sales of the mobile phones it was considered a luxury item as it costed a hefty USD 4000 which is not reachable for average salaried people but proved popular with businessmen. 1990-1995 was a period where the design of mobile phones became even more compact compared to the 1.1 kg Motorola created by Martin Cooper. This period proved to also be a period where mobile phones could be accessed by average consumers as it became much more affordable. The next mobile phone sensation that was created by motorola was the MicroTAC (Business insider, page 11/34) which was the first phone with a foldable cover which acted as a speaker. When not in use the cover would flip and stay over the keypads which reduces the length of the mobile phone, making it truly compact phone that could be fitted into the pocket of your pants without it falling off due to its size and weight. The next breakthrough in technology by Motorola was the invention of the Motorola international 3200 which offered 2G digitally encrypted technology. This means that text messages can be sent from the mobile phone itself where in the past inventions only calls were able to be made (Wikipedia, 2G, para 1). The IBM Simon was the first smartphone created in 1993 and offer a host of desirable features such as a calendar, address book, clock, calculator, notepad, email, games and a touchscreen with QWERTY keyboard and it was sold for $900. This phone proved to have all round usability as it is a mobile phone, pager, fax machine as well as a PDA. In 1996 Motorola created the first "clamshell" phone which is similar to the flip phone like before but the difference is that the earpiece is on the top half of the phone which can be folded onto the keyboard. This phone offered 1G but soon went to 2G.

          The next phone that was called a mini computer by that era's standard was the Nokia 9000 communicator. The phone could be opened lengthways which would reveal a  QWERTY keyboard and also an LCD screen which gives the user access to more features such as calendars that can be used as well as a planner which is suitable for businessmen. This phone although provides high tech functionality still lacks compactness and due to the addition of the keyboard made it bulky and long making it less appealing. 1998 was the year that phone lost its external antenna whip as it has a built in antennae which was benchmarked by the Nokia 8810 which had slidable keypad cover. Japan's Kyocera Visual Phone was the first to have a built in camera that was only intended as a peer to peer video phone and appeared in 1999. The next innovation to come with the mobile phone was the creation of the colour screen which gives out stunning colours and allowed users to put a wallpaper, personalising the phone at the same time. Fast forward to 2007 and we have the Apple iPhone 3G that was created by Steve Jobs that was the first smartphone that has a touch screen interface. Now in 2013 most of the phones we use utilizes touch screen interfaces. Due to its popularity it could be afforded for as low as $99. Adults are not the only one holding a touch screen interfaced phone and due to the affordability kids nowadays have smartphones in their hands which proves that kids are now being more tech savvy in this high technology age. Smartphones of this age provides various functions such as a built in camera which can go up to 41 megapixels which is more than most digital camera. The mobile phone also provides functions like GPS which means that the user does not need to get a GPS in order to find their way as it is now built in to most of the smartphones that we have today.

Societal Impacts

         The positive effect this technology has on the society is that it allows people from all around the world to communicate with each other by using a mobile phone. The other thing is that we have access to information on the go as the phones we have to day have internet so this allows us to have information on the go. Other than that information can be taken down such as by using the voice recorder or through applications such as a notepad which means that papers and pens are not needed but just a touch on the phone and information can be stored on the phone. The mobile phone also provides a quick way to call someone in the event of an emergency. The mobile phone is mostly used as a camera and is mostly used by people to capture those unforgettable moments and proved to be more popular as a separate digital camera would not be needed as the phone is as good. Games and applications can be downloaded from the phone and can be enjoyed while waiting for the bus or when waiting for food to come to the table in the restaurant.

          The negative impact to society is that it may be too convenient until we depend too much on the phone itself to provide us with the information we need. For example we use the phone to track our location to know where we are in the map and without that if we were given a paper map we would not be able to decipher it and maybe get ourselves to our desired location. Other than that connectivity to social media networks can prove to be good for most people but can be used by criminals to track the location of the user and attempt to rob their house while they are away. This can be due to status updates stating the location of the user which means that the user is not at home, making criminals eye the house. Kids nowadays are so glued to the phone because of the games that it offers and parents see this as a source of entertainment for the kids but this can prove to be a bad habit where kids get attached to the phone and lose the ability to connect with the outside world. There was a time before the mobile phone took over the kid's leisure time they were out in the sun, interacting and having fun with other kids. Other than that the accessibility to social media from the phone itself is a hazard when driving as drivers get distracted by the phone and not concentrating on the main thing which is driving itself. Some people become too attached to their mobile phones that they lose contact with the world and they cannot live without having the phone with them. There are pros and cons when it comes to owning a mobile phone but as long as the usage is controlled it would not be an addiction.

References
-Communication and Leadership (2013). Retrieved from: http://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/leader/leadcom.html
-Alexander Graham Bell (2013). Retrieved from :http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Graham_Bell
- Richard Goodwin (2013). The History of Mobile Phones: 1973 to 2007. Retrieved from : http://www.knowyourmobile.com/nokia/history-mobile-phones/19848/history-mobile-phones-1973-2007
- Justin Meyers (2011). Watch the Incredible 70-Year Evolution of the Cell Phone. Retrieved from : http://www.businessinsider.com.au/complete-visual-history-of-cell-phones-2011-5?op=1#2010-33
- BNadyn (2013). Mobile Lifestyle- Pros and Cons of Cell Phones. Retrieved from : http://bnadyn.hubpages.com/hub/Our-Lives-With-Cell-Phones-Pros-and-Cons

A Trip to the Museum of Transport and Technology (MOTAT)

Hello, 

A week ago we were given the task to visit the Museum of Transport and Technology which is located at 805 Great North Road & Meola Road, Western Springs, Auckland 1022, New Zealand. We were given two weeks to complete this module and we were told to go there to choose a technology and its development throughout the years. 

Figure 1 : MOTAT entrance.

 For this assignment i chose the bicycle as the technology of my choice. The bicycle itself is considered a "green" type of moving vehicle as it does not produce emissions just by cycling.  It is an alternative means of transport and sometimes a time saver as during jams the bicycle can be used to get to destinations quicker and at the same time we are doing our exercise which means it is another plus for health conscious people. Bicycles come in different forms, shapes and sizes and is catered to people of varying age and size. Unitec itself is promoting the use of bicycles to get around campus easily through their "book a bike" campaign which promotes the use of bicycles provided by Auckland Transport to get around the campus instead of using a car or the shuttle bus which consumes precious fuel.

History
Earlier on in 1817 the first bicycle which was known as the Draisienne or hobby horse was created as a means of faster transport than walking. Drais invented a walking machine that would get him from point A to point B quicker and this differs from a conventional bicycle in a way that it doesn't have pedals and so the user propel themselves forward by pushing with their legs so it would look like that person is gliding instead of walking. This invention proved to be an easy way to get around but when it comes to hills or uneven roads this invention proved to be a tiring means of transport compared to walking.

Figure 2 : Draisienne. retrieved from :http://augrenierdantan.centerblog.net/202-draisienne-1817

The next type of bicycle to come after the Draisienne was called the Velocipede of Boneshaker which is given as the name of the bicycle because of the rock hard ride of the bicycle due to the tires being made of just wood and after that, metal. This invention came in 1865 and the pedals are placed beside the front wheels so this is considered to be a front wheel driven bicycle compared to bicycles of today which are rear wheel driven.

Figure 3 : Boneshaker. Picture taken in MOTAT.

The next invention to come after the boneshaker was the High wheel bicycle which is also known as the Penny Farthing and is invented in 1870. The pedals are installed on the front wheels like the previous invention and the reason why the wheel was so big was so that the ride would be much more comfortable compared to the boneshaker. The bigger wheel was also utilized due to the fact that a bigger wheel would cover more distance in one cyclic revolution compared to a smaller wheel which would cover much less distance with the same amount of pedal movement. Back in the days these bikes costed an average worker 6 months of their hard earned money and the wheel's size is limited to how long the rider's leg is. Due to the high seating position of this bicycle the chances of falling down due to small accidents became apparent .

Figure 4 : The Penny-Farthing. Picture taken in MOTAT.

The next bicycle to come in line after the High Wheel tricycle which was used by ladies due to the fact that ladies wearing long skirts sitting high above the ground would prove impractical.  It is said that innovations like the rack and pinion steering, the differential from the vehicle we drive today came from this invention.

Figure 5: The high wheel tricycle. Retrieved from : http://noeperez.net/design/pedaling-history/phbm/hwt.html

 The next bicycle to come after the high wheel tricycle was the hard tired safety. Due to the advancements in metallurgy, the metal used on the bicycle is now strong enough. This also means that a fine chain as well as the wheel sprocket can be made without being too heavy or weak that it would break as a person is cycling along. This new generation of bicycles also gave birth to the invention of gear ratios therefore eliminating the big wheel  like in the penny farthing. Utilisation of the gear ratios mean that the same distance could be covered like the penny farthing but the difference is that this uses gear ratios to achieve the same goal. This bicycle design was also uncomfortable as the wheels were made of solid, hard, rubber and also due to the reason being that the shock absorbers were not implemented yet.

Figure 6 : The hard tired Safety. Retrieved from : http://noeperez.net/design/pedaling-history/phbm/hts.html

The pneumatic Tired Safety bicycle is the bicycle similar to what we have today and the name coincides with the pneumatic referring to the tire being inflated by air. This was first applied by an Irish veterinarian who, in that time wanted to give his son a more comfortable ride on his tricycle. The name of the inventor was Dunlop. Ladies who wore long skirts are now able to use this bicycle which was much more versatile compared to the tricycle that they rode in before this which was big and much less versatile. Cycling was so popular in the 1880s and 1890s that cyclists formed the League of American Wheelman.

Figure 7 : The pneumatic tired safety. Retrieved from : http://www.prices4antiques.com/item_images/medium/29/95/61-01.jpg

 
The next type of bicycle was made to attract the younger generation into buying this bicycle. The main attraction of this bike is from the motorcycle and automobile elements that can be found on the bicycle. This proved popular to kids who wanted a vehicle but were still too young to drive and therefore they resort to this bike which is called the Kid's Bike and weighed around 65 pounds and further in the year they were built and implemented with design elements coming from jet aircrafts and even rockets. By the 1960's, the design of these bikes became much more leaner and simpler.

Figure 8 : The Kid's bike. Retrieved from : http://idreamofbikes.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/kids-bike.gif?w=500

 The invention and design of the bicycle has come a long way since its introduction back in the 1800's and many forms have been produced over the years until the current design of the mountain bike which provided much more flexibility and adjustments that cater to different cyclists. These adjustments came in the form of adjusting stiffness of the ride through the absorbers in the front and back of the vehicle, to adjusting the height of the seat and also the range of gears a bike has that can negotiate different levels of speeds and cycling effort.

Figure 9 : Mountain bike. Picture taken in MOTAT.

The impact the bicycle has on the society is very big as it changes the way people move around. For certain countries like in the United States courier services use bicycles as a way if transporting packages quickly as in the traffic situation of New York deem vehicle delivery of packages much slower compared to bicycles which can zip in and around traffic quicker and move in to tight spots which would be a restriction for a vehicle. Other than that it is a cheaper means of transport as it does not cost much to maintain the bicycle and can last a few years with proper maintenance. The use of a bicycle also promotes healthy living as it encourages people to use cycling as a means of recreation.

The bicycle taught the Wright brothers how important the balancing of wind currents is in the operation of an airplane and the uses of light wight steel bicycle tubing allowed their first airplane to actually fly. Even Henry Ford who was the first to mass produce vehicles was a bicycle mechanic at first and took inspiration from the bicycle and implemented them in to the automobile. The bicycle is considered a mechanical marvel because it can support up to 10 times its own weight and it is also thermodynamically efficient than any other animal or machine because the bicycle acts as an almost automatic extension of the human body.(Babson College, Professor Bicycle's Top Ten Social Impacts of the Bicycle, n.d)

References :
- Bicycle Pedaling History Museum (n.d). A quick history of Bicycles. Retrieved from : http://www.pedalinghistory.com/PHhistory.html
-  Au Grenier d'Antan (2012, March 25). Draisienne-1817. Retrieved 28 August, 2013 from: http://augrenierdantan.centerblog.net/202-draisienne-1817
- Pedaling History (n.d). The story of the Bicycle. Retrieved 28 August, 2013 from : http://noeperez.net/design/pedaling-history/phbm/hwt.html
- Prices4Antiques.com (n.d). Bicycle; Comet, Pneumatic Tire Safety, circa 1895. Retrieved 28 August, 2013 from : http://www.prices4antiques.com/Bicycle-Comet-Pneumatic-Tire-Safety-circa-1895-D9950438.html
- idreamofbikes (n.d). History of Bicycles. Retrieved 28 August, 2013 from : http://idreamofbikes.wordpress.com/historyofbikes/