Final Class Blog

Before coming to this reporting class, I had no idea about what beat journals were, and I had zero blogging experience. Now that I know how to post a blog and cover a beat, I can see how people can get addicted to it.

I found this blogging assignment pretty interesting. It taught me a lot about what's going on in the electronics industry, and helped me improve my writing technique in a fun way. Usually, writing assignments in my classes are so formal. You can't write in first-person; you have to abide by certain rules that follow either the MLA or APA format; and the only feedback you get is from the professor. Blogging is a lot more fun. Because of it's informal nature, it feels like I am telling my friend a story when I write. Over the weeks, I noticed that the blogs that seem to talk directly to you on a personal level, like a friend, are more interesting to read. It's also nice that there's more interactivity with blogs than there is with print media. I like that people can immediately comment on your posts, and you can build a more involved conversation. I also like that you can add links to relative articles and display graphics and videos.

Some of the sources that I used for my blog were CNN.com, USA Today, ABC News, local news, "Gizmodo" - The Gadget Guide, Technology magazines, international trading companies, and various online technology journals and blog sites, such as Ars Technica and Wired Gadget Lab. I chose these sources because they taught me about the newest, hottest consumer electronics on the market, and showed me interesting technology issues that people have been starting to talk about. The professional news stations and articles pointed me to fascinating, newsworthy electronics, and the other sources helped clarify my understanding of the gadget topics with their more in-depth stories. Surprisingly, I found the technology magazine and blog articles to be the best sources because they included more information and links to other relative stories. A lot of the professional news articles, especially ones from the Associated Press, were brief and didn't have a lot of good quotes from people. The magazine and blog articles seemed to dive deeper into the subject, probably because their writers were more enthusiastic about their technology subjects. These stories were also more interesting to read because some of them used an angle and chose one side of a debate. Regular news articles can't do that because they have be objective. However, I found that many of the magazine and blog articles included both sides of the story when professional news articles didn't.

Some major stories and developments that I followed were the invention of phoneless phone booths, the move from analog to digital TV, the use of cellular phones as portable medical labs, the banning of iPhone's card-counting application from casinos, and the pros and cons of following the newest tech trend-- in-car computer systems.


I thought most of these stories were covered quite well because there was a variety of sources to choose from for each story. The strengths in the coverage were that they were pretty timely, relevant, thorough, and newsworthy. Many were objective and extremely informative. Some also provided a number of pictures and video clips to view. However, some of the weaknesses included not telling both sides of the story, lacking quotes from people, and not being able to remain objective and interesting at the same time. In many cases, the objective stories were cut and dry, with not much information or emotional quotes. The stories that were interesting to read often weren't objective at all, and did not follow the proper writing style guidelines.

Stories that I did not see covered on my beat that I would assign to a reporter would be about more of the cons of technological inventions, a follow-up story about the the digital transition, and a story about someone who had something terrible happen to them because of their carputer. I noticed that a lot of technology stories are about how some magnificent technology was just developed and it will make life better or easier for you. There weren't very many professional stories about negatives of new technology, even though there were numerous negative reactions from consumers. I think it would be interesting to see an article that shows the dangers of having the trendiest ipod or GPS system. I also think that there should be a follow-up story about the move to digital TV because the last thing we heard was that the DTV transition was postponed. However, a lot of TV channels are still currently switching over to digital broadcast, and many people, who have not yet bought a converter box, are losing channels. I want to hear about what broadcast companies are doing about this, and how TV owners feel. I also want to know if the broadcast industry and the U.S. Government thinks that the nation will be ready for when the next transition date arrives. I think it would also be interesting to read about a tragic event that was caused by an in-car computer system because more and more cars are being built with these things already installed. Also there's been a lot of advertising for built-in systems, so it would be good for people to understand the dangers of this technology.

I learned a lot about media coverage in this class. I learned that professional news sources that we have come to rely on don't always have the best news coverage. I learned that bloggers and magazine writers often cover subjects more thoroughly and provide better perspectives than the news. They also sometimes take the time to check back and write follow-up stories when professional news companies don't. I also learned that blogging can be a lot better than normal news coverage because of crowdsourcing. Traditional news aren't able to interact with readers the way that bloggers can. I also learned the importance of being objective and checking sources. After reporting a story personally for this class, I understand that covering news isn't as easy as it looks. Overall, I think this was a great class, and I learned a lot.

Eric Eldon, VentureBeat, and the Blogging World

The news that Eric Eldon shared about VentureBeat.com and the world of blogging was quite interesting.

VentureBeat.com is a website that blogs about technology. It was founded by Mike Marshall, who hired Eldon as his first writer.

Eldon often writes about Facebook and Myspace because they come out with a lot of great innovations. He tends to cover Myspace more because "they have been more aggressive" in getting new things out there. Myspace has come out with the music playlists that Facebook doesn't have, and Eldon says that Myspace has even been talking about making applications for phone devices that allow you to listen to music on your cellular phone.

He also covers Twitter, other smaller set-ups, and bigger companies, such as Google and Yahoo!.

The writers of VentureBeat.com write original stories.

"When there is a story that someone else writes, we call up the actual company or source of that story to get information, and try to push that forward," says Eldon.

One could say that "Push it forward!" has become a motto for VentureBeat.com because the writers encourage readers to comment their work to keep the conversation going. Eldon says that he will first post something, and then, people will comment. If they make a good point, he will engage with them again and continue with the discussion. Sometimes, he writes a follow-up story that wasn't initially planned.

I think the way that VentureBeat.com makes money is really neat. They charge advertisers some sort of rate, and the advertisers advertise the website and give them a cut. VentureBeat.com also makes money by hosting real-life conferences. The conferences allow them to do many things, including charging for tickets, drinks, advertising, and then using the blog to advertise the conference. The way Eldon spoke about made it sound so easy that any dedicated blogger could do it. However, I am sure that is a lot more complex, and a lot more hard work goes into it than that. Eldon says that it takes years to build up the knowledge and writing, and business skills to be able to build your own organization.

I thought it was quite fascinating when Eldon said, "It's not necessarily valuable to have more readers reading your blog." I always figured that that's what all bloggers want-- a lot of readers. Well, Eldon says that it's better to reconstruct your advertisers to get the audience you want.

"You want to have a narrow audience so you know who your audience is," Eldon says.

I like the layout of VentureBeat's website. I think it looks really professional with the separate sections for Digital Media, CleanTech, and Mobile/Comm. I also like the way the site offers various links to other sites and sources.

I thought it was funny when Eldon said, "I think it's insane that newspapers don't link to other sites. They're just too self-important, I guess."

I agree with him. I think links are a great tool that helps motivate readers to read and trust your writing.

Eldon was extremely helpful in making me understand the blogging world more. His presentation gave me inspiration to make the most of my blog, and left me with a sense of hope. Maybe one day I'll have a successful blog that makes money too.

The photo above is provided by Eric Eldon at http://venturebeat.com/author/eric-eldon/
The video above is provided by CrunchBase.com at http://www.crunchbase.com/company/venturebeat

Profile Story Process Memo

Interviewing Sandy Tsuneyoshi, the director of OSU's Intercultural Student Services, for my profile story was a lot of fun. I actually know her from working with the Hui-o-Hawaii club that she advises, so it made my meeting with her a lot more comfortable. I learned a lot about her that I never expected. Sitting in her cluttered office that was decorated from floor to ceiling with Asian and Polynesian artwork and purple (her favorite color) flowers and things, I learned that she worked with war veterans in Hawaii and Samoa, adopted a child from Samoa, won a law case that she filed for discrimination against minority students, and fought against various injustices that dealt with racial discrimination.

In 1997, she filed a law suit against the directors of a medical institution for discharging her early because of her race. Apparently, a doctor would not treat her because she was Japanese-American. In 2000, she was awarded $250,000 when the judge ruled in her favor. Tsuneyoshi said she was excited to spend some of the money on her dream car-- a purple van.

She also helped several OSU students fight against racial discrimination. One year, Hawaii students, who were on their way to their first frat party, were cut off and shoved by some Caucasian boys. Tsuneyoshi said the Hawaiian boys tried to walk around the other boys, but the other group got in their faces. When police came, the police only asked the Caucasian boys what happened and arrested the Hawaiian boys without hearing their side of the story. The policemen were white and supposedly affiliated with the Caucasian group's fraternity. Tsuneyoshi did everything she could to help the Hawaiian boys when she found out, She made calls, spoke to police authorities, and had them come clean of their wrong doings.

She said there were three occurrences that made her want to help minority people when she came to work at OSU in 1994. All three coincidentally took place at Chinese restaurants. The first incident happened when Tsuneyoshi went to have dinner at a Chinese restaurant with some co-workers. While they were walking in the restaurant's parking lot, a car pulled by, and passengers shouted nasty racial remarks at Tsuneyoshi and her co-workers while pulling at their faces to make slanted eyes.

The second occurrence happened when she was eating at a Chinese restaurant with her ex-husband and baby. Her baby, named Sascha, was about six months old sitting in a highchair not making any sound. Then a customer in the restaurant passed by their table on the way to the bathroom and asked Sascha to wave at him. Tsuneyoshi said the guy was saying, "Wave at me, Wave at me," but Sascha just innocently looked at him without moving. Then the guy shouts, "What a stupid baby," and walks away. Tsuneyoshi couldn't believe the guy said that about an infant, especially a stranger's infant. She felt that he was personally attacking them because of their race. He probably would not have done that if Tsuneyoshi's family was white.

The third incident took place at another Chinese restaurant when someone eating at a table near Tsunyoshi's family started speaking loudly to his group about his feelings toward Asians. Tsuneyoshi said that he was bashing Asians in a voice loud enough for Tsuneyoshi's table to hear.

"Yeah, you know those Asians... They're so this and that," Tsuneyoshi mimicked the man, scrunching up her face. She knew he was doing it intentionally, just because Tsuneyoshi's family was there.

Luckily, Tsuneyoshi came to Oregon State because she helped give students and other members of OSU's minority community a voice. Tsuneyoshi said that people, especially Asian-Pacific Americans, have a hard time speaking up when they come to a new environment in which they are the minority. A lot of Caucasians are taught to be very assertive in the workplace and school. When they do something great, they are the first ones to take the credit, but when they make a mistake, they have an easier time pointing the finger at someone else. Tsuneyoshi said that Asians are the opposite. They tend to be more modest and don't say anything when someone praises their work, but they are the first to admit that they are wrong. In their culture they are taught to be more passive as a sign of respect.

"When Asians talk, they will go around and around and around," Tsuneyoshi said, while drawing circles in the air with her index finger. "It takes them a longer time to get to the point."

Tsuneyoshi said that she wants to help the Asian-Pacific people here learn to speak up and stand up for themselves. She wants them to attain the assertive skills that they need in the workplace, so they can be successful.

It is also a good thing that Tsuneyoshi came to OSU because she helped provide a "home away from home" for students from Hawaii. I focused my profile story on this aspect of Tsuneyoshi's life because it is something really beautiful and special to see. When Hawaii students come to OSU, they enter a world completely different from their hometowns. They are not used to the weather conditions, the change of seasons, the food, language, or being the minority. Coming from small islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, they are simply not used to the mainland. Back home, Hawaii students have their large families with them. Everyone is really welcoming, and there is a real sense of what Hawaiians call the "aloha spirit."

Tsuneyoshi tries to share that aloha spirit with everyone at OSU. She's always smiling and welcoming others. She always tries to be there for someone whenever they need help. I think her PhD in psychology helps with that.

"I always feel like I can go to her for anything," said Maleah Harris, an administrative supporter that Tsuneyoshi hired. "She's very understanding. She would do anything to help others."

All of the Hawaii students call her "Aunty." There's a real feeling of ‘ohana, or family. In Hawaii, students address their elders as "aunty" and "uncle".

Tsuneyoshi said that one of her co-workers once came up to her and told her, "I just realized that all these kids are not your relatives." Tsuneyoshi laughed, and said that now she has other students, such as the African-Americans and Mexicans, calling her that too.

It was really nice to listen to Tsuneyoshi talk about her life. I feel like I have a much deeper respect for her.

Some of the challenges during the reporting part of this story was trying to interview Tsuneyoshi while she kept getting important phone calls, writing notes fast enough to keep up with her speech, and interrupting her to ask questions. During the interview, we kept having to stop because Tsuneyoshi had to answer important business calls. I would actually have to step out of her office while she took them, and then try to regroup after the call was done. I had to remind Tsuneyoshi a couple of times about where she last left off in the interview. Another difficult part of the interview was taking notes because she naturally speaks really fast. It's hard to slow her down. When I asked her one question, she went on and on, talking about so many interesting subjects. It was hard for me to stop her and ask questions about something she said.

However, there were a few things that went quite well during the reporting part of the assignment. Luckily, it was quite easy to schedule an appointment with the super busy lady. She happened to be free on Friday during the time that I had a break between 2-4 pm. I also had her phone number and e-mail address if I need to ask her anything else. We were also very comfortable with each other during the interview. I got a lot of information from her, and we only felt the need to stop because we were running out of time. Students and her secretary were also very willing to say nice things about her.

Challenges that I faced during the writing portion included going through all of my notes, focusing on only one topic, and choosing how to address Tsuneyoshi in my paper. Tsuneyoshi had so much fascinating things to say that I had a lot of really great points in my notes that I couldn't use. She spoke about Hawaii students, lawsuits, samoa, helping veterans in the Big Island, Hawaiian and Asian culture, and more. It was difficult to sort through all of the good information and focus on one thing. I also had a lot of great quotes that I recorded with the help of a tape recorder, but I couldn't use a lot of them because they had to do with the other subjects that she spoke about. I felt really bad about not including the other interesting information about her. I also wanted to address Tsuneyoshi as Aunty Sandy throughout the paper because it would have given it a more authentic feel. I originally wrote things like, “These Hawaiian boys were all excited to go to this frat party for the first time,” explained Aunty Sandy, “Then, on their way there they passed by another group of boys who cut them off and shoved them.” I actually really liked saying Aunty Sandy, instead of Tsuneyoshi, in the paper because the paper had a more family, aloha-spirited feel to it. However, I knew that writing "Tsuneyoshi" was a lot more professional.

One thing that went well during the writing section was that I was able to include a lot about Tsuneyoshi's background while still being able to stay focused on Tsuneyoshi's caring spirit. I was also able to explain her fight against racial discrimination quite well. The fact that I did some research on Asian-Pacific Americans also helped me write a convincing report about the struggles of A/PA people in college environments.

I had a great time learning about Tsuneyoshi. I think my feedback for this story should be based on the way that I captured her caring spirit and explained her work against racial discrimination. I would also like to know if my story had a good order to it. I hope my choice about using "Tsuneyoshi" instead of "Aunty Sandy" was wise, and my research about A/PAs in college was useful.

Technology Changing the Way we Drive: In-Car Computer Systems

Are on-board computer systems helping the way people drive or distracting them from the road?

According to CNN.com, in-car computing is "technology's next frontier." Cellphones converging with the internet is so last year. The newest tech trend is the installation of computer technology into cars and trucks. Several motor vehicles have in-car computers, also known as carputers, installed in them. Hyundai launched a "system that warns motorists when they drift out of the lane they're traveling in" and another manufacturer developed software that uses heat-seeking cameras to alert drivers when a pedestrian is in their path. There are various safety features that carputers offer today, including GPS navigation, reverse sensors, tire pressure checkers, and hands-free communication devices. Well-known services, such as GM's OnStar and Ford's Sync, can also "reduce gas flow to a stolen vehicle or dial 911 if a car is involved in a crash" (Griggs).


However, many argue that these electronic carputers also bring a variety of distractions. The Sydney Morning Herald published an article stating that Hi-tech gadgets have caused several car accidents. Carputers allow people to surf the web, send and receive e-mail, use Skype or other VoIP services, record data, play mp3s, watch movies, and receive directions to your favorite restaurants (Welcome to In-CarPC).

Although the safety features are great, I don't think they'll prevent a driver from crashing if he's not looking at the road. Many states have banned drivers from simply talking on handheld phone devices. Surfing the internet is a lot more dangerous, don't you think?

Azentek, an automotive company specializing in on-board computer systems, promised that their in-car PC is not a distraction because it will "read out your e-mails and transcode your voice messages back into TXT or e-mail attachments for all those 'I'm running late in traffic' e-mails." Their hope is to keep drivers' hands off the screen and on the wheel (Long).

I think this is ridiculous because drivers should be focused on the road, not on writing e-mails. Why do people need to write e-mails while driving, when they'll probably be home or at the office in 15 minutes, where they can use a real computer? Azentek's statement is also stupid because they don't promise to keep people's eyes on the road. Not to mention, their carputer offers other distractions, like a DVD and mp3 player. They can't guarantee that drivers won't touch the carputer screen when their messing with their playlists.

Jayne O'Donnell, a writer for USA Today, wrote that electronic technology in cars have caused a number of car failures. "Complex computer systems have broken down on hundreds, perhaps thousands, of luxury vehicles, wreaking havoc on the lives of their owners," O'Donnell wrote. There have been various complaints stating that they have caused disconnected calls, seats that adjust without warning while cars are moving, the check engine signal to go on, and the shut down of car engines (O'Donnell).

Another problem that owners of onboard systems have faced was getting their cars stolen or broken into. People have been able to hack into systems like OnStar and Sync with their mobile phones. These systems can unlock car doors, start up engines, and even make it easier for people steal from others' houses. One system can control the appliances in a person's home, such as an electric stove or clothing iron, from the road (Cooley). If someone breaks into their car and messes with their carputer, the owner can go home to a burning house.

There has been an ongoing debate about the pros and cons of carputers as more and more people purchase them for their personal vehicles. The news coverage should be a lot more in depth about the matter than they have been because these purchasers don't fully understand what carputers can really do to their lives. I think the coverage has been awful. CNN raved about how amazing the new technology is, but they neglected to warn people about the negative effects of having the on-board systems. Other sources, such as USA Today and PC Authority, neglected to state the pros. Whatever happened to objective, unbiased news? The fact that trusted, professional news sources neglected to state both sides of the story is disappointing. I think it makes them look less credible and less professional. Bloggers do a better job at covering information.

Although carputers seem really cool to have, they can also toil with people's lives. I, personally, would feel like "tha man" to have such a gadget in my car. However, buying the expensive toy is one thing, but paying the price to have your car broken into or your privacy stolen is another thing.

References:

(2009). Hiinfo N1 Onboard Computer(with M710 Display in Hyundai). Retrieved February 23, 2009, from Made-in-China.com Web site: http://www.made-in-china.com/showroom/bluestar-pc/product-detailAbvQEdnJRTVP/China-Hiinfo-N1-Onboard-Computer-with-M710-Display-in-Hyundai-.html

(2009). Welcome to In-CarPC. Retrieved February 23, 2009, from In-Car PC Web site: http://www.in-carpc.co.uk/

Cooley, Brian (2006, March 21). * Video: A dashboard that is really a PC. Retrieved February 23, 2009, from CNET News Web site: http://news.cnet.com/1606-2_3-6052333.html

Griggs, Brandon (2009, January 9). Technology's next frontier: In-car computing. Retrieved February 23, 2009, from CNN.com/technology Web site: http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/01/09/ces.cars.computers/index.html

In-car gadgets distracting drivers: police. (2008, December 30). The Sydney Morning Herald, p. C4.

Long, Daniel (2008, October 22). Geek my ride: Azentek promises in-car PC ‘not a distraction’ while driving. Retrieved February 23, 2009, from PC Authority Web site: http://www.pcauthority.com.au/News/126232,geek-my-ride-azentek-promises-incar-pc-%E2%80%98not-a-distraction%E2%80%99-while-driving.aspx

O'Donnell, Jayne (2008, November 11). Advances in car technology bring high-class headaches. USA Today, p. C3.

Powell, Evan (2008, May 7). Hyundai and Microsoft partner to offer in-car computer system. Retrieved February 23, 2009, from Car Central Web site: http://www.carcentral.com.au/20080507595/gadgets/hyundai-and-microsoft-partner-to-offer-in-car-computer-system.html

iPhone Card Counter banned from Nevada Casinos

Media sources have recently been intensely preoccupied with covering the use of an iPhone card-counting application in casinos.

Card counting is a system used to lower the casino advantage over the player. This counting system keeps track of the percentage of high to low cards since the last time the deck was shuffled, and helps notify the player when he should make bigger or smaller bets (Gambling Dictionary and Online Casino Terms). The movie "21" shows that casinos hate card counters because counters can beat the house and take all of the money.

According to CBS13 News, "card counting itself is not illegal under Nevada gambling laws, but it is considered a felony to use devices to help count cards."

This makes the the news coverage of the iPhone card-counting application important because Apple Inc.'s iPhone and iPod Touch card-counting program illegally helps players beat the house in blackjack (ABC News).

Richard Abowitz, a writer for the Los Angeles Times, said this application could make someone like him, a non-gambler, as good as the best counter in Vegas.

A person who wrote a review for the $2.99 iPhone application created by TMSOFT said it made him $50k in Vegas.

Another reviewer wrote, “I just got back from Vegas and won 8G’s and took my family on a great vacation. Three bucks is worth a thousand” (Deleon).

Randall Sayre, a board member of the Nevada Gaming Control Board, informed casino authorities about one of the card-counting application's features called "Stealth Mode," which shuts off the iPhone screen. Stealth mode makes the phone appear to be turned off, while the user can still continue to track cards by pressing the screen at the spots where the keys would normally show. The phone vibrates when the player should make a bet (Kelzer).

Casinos all over Nevada have been warned about the iPhone's card-counting application, and Harrah's Entertainment banned the iPhone at the World Series of Poker (Sadun).

The iPhone not only raises the risk in losing money, but also raises the risk in being arrested. Device-assisted card counting is a felony that can earn you one to six years in prison, a fine of up to $10,000, or both (Myslewski).

I think the amount of news coverage for this new card-counting event is reasonable because Nevada has claimed it a felony. A lot of people have iPhones today, so casinos are more at risk of losing money.

Nicholas Deleon, a writer for MobileCrunch.com, did a good job at stating that this card-counting scare comes at a bad time. "Las Vegas is being battered by the recession: no one has any money anymore-- come stimulus," Deleon wrote.

The stories from the Associated Press that were used by media sources, such as ABC News, Yahoo! News, and CBS13 News, were objective, yet short and boring. They were good summaries, but were not as interesting as other articles from newspapers and technology. The AP articles showed how quotes from people add flavor to stories.

The article from the LA Times was more opinionated and written more like an editorial, but it was a lot more interesting to read.

The Ars Technica story by Erica Sadun was extremely informative. I like the way Sadun included the gambling laws of other states, such as New Jersey, in comparison to those of Las Vegas. She wrote that Atlantic City casinos could not bar skilled players, but in Las Vegas, they can bully, harass, and back of customers.

The Ars Technica story was also one out of only two stories that included information about the card-counting application's stealth mode. Gregg Kelzer's story from Computer World was the other one.

Sadun, Kelzer, and Myslewski's articles stated good figures that described how much the iPhone application costs. I thought it was also good that they included where someone could purchase the application.

Reading the reactions from bloggers and newspaper reviewers about the topic were quite entertaining. There were a lot of mixed reviews for the application and news articles. A lot of the reviews seemed more in support of using the application in casinos. After reading the articles, people seemed more interested in going to casinos and trying out the card-counting application themselves.

I think the news articles not only warned casinos about the card-counting scare, but also encouraged more people to try the application.

I'm interested in downloading the application, myself.

References:

(2005). Gambling Dictionary and Online Casino Terms. Retrieved February 18, 2009, from Online Casino Prosper Web site: http://www.online-casino-prosper.com/gamblingdictionary.html

(2009). Card Counter. Retrieved February 18, 2009, from TMSOFT Web site: http://www.tmsoft.com/iphone-cardcounter.html

(2009, February 15). iPhone Card-Counting App Has Casinos On Alert. Retrieved February 18, 2009, from CBS13.com Web site: http://cbs13.com/business/blackjack.iphone.app.2.935915.html

(2009, February 16). Casinos are warned about card-counting iPhone app. Retrieved February 18, 2009, from Yahoo! Tech Web site: http://tech.yahoo.com/news/ap/20090216/ap_on_hi_te/card_counting_iphones

(2009, February 16). Casinos are warned about card-counting iPhone app. Retrieved February 18, 2009, from ABC News Web site: http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/AheadoftheCurve/wireStory?id=6886789

(2009, February 16). iPhone Card Counting. Retrieved February 18, 2009, from CNN Video Web site: http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/tech/2009/02/16/tsr.tatton.iphone.card.counting.cnn

Abowiz, Richard (2009, February 16). Blackjack: Cheating with an iPhone. Los Angeles Times, p. C2.

Deleon, Nicholas (2009 February 16). iPhone card counting app comes under Las Vegas scrutiny. Retrieved February 18, 2009, from Mobile Crunch Web site: http://www.mobilecrunch.com/2009/02/16/iphone-card-counting-app-comes-under-las-vegas-scrutiny/

Kelzer, Gregg (2009, February 17). Nevada tips casinos to iPhone card-counting app. Retrieved February 18, 2009, from ComputerWorld Web site: http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9128094&intsrc=news_ts_head

Myslewski, Rik (2009, February 17). US gambling capital bans iPhone card counter. Retrieved February 17, 2009, from The Register Web site: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/02/17/iphone_card_counter/

Sadun, Erica (2009, February 16). Casino regulators issue alert over iPhone card-counting app. Retrieved February 18, 2009, from Ars Technica Web site: http://arstechnica.com/apple/news/2009/02/casino-operators-issue-warning-over-iphone-card-counting-app.ars

Terdiman, Daniel (2009, February 17). Casinos on lookout for iPhone card-counting app. Retrieved February 18, 2009, from CNET News Web site: http://news.cnet.com/8301-10797_3-10165861-235.html

Timothy (2009, February 17). Casinos Warn iPhone Card-Counting App is Illegal . Retrieved February 18, 2009, from Slashdot Web site: http://games.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=09/02/17/1547233&from=rss

Cell Phones Turn into Portable Medical Labs

Can you imagine a doctor diagnosing you for malaria or HIV with your cell phone? Well, a new invention could make that possible. Media shows that CellScope, a special microscope that attaches to cellular phones, could turn your cell phone into a portable medical lab that fits in your pocket. It's amazing what cell phones are capable of today. You can watch TV, surf the internet, listen to music, capture and send instant video clips, and soon receive professional medical treatment right from your mobile phone anywhere in the world.

Various media sources, including CNN, ABC News, Science Daily, ECN magazine, and various blog sites have reported cell phones becoming convenient medical resources.

According to Richard Hart, a writer for ABC News, students from the University of California at Berkeley have designed a hand-held microscopic imaging and transmission device that has the ability to capture magnified images of blood cells that are clear enough to indicate malaria (Hart). The device can convert a standard cellular phone camera into a clinical-quality microscope with 5-50X magnification abilities (Rattner). The original prototype of the cell-phone microscope utilized a Nokia cell phone with an embedded 3.1 megapixel camera (Anderson). It was made to clamp onto the back of a mobile phone handset, and was built from off-the-shelf components that cost less than $75 (Poor). A newer device is smaller and has its own illumination system made up of a ring of low-cost, low-power, and high-brightness white LED lights (Blum Center for Developing Countries).

The way this CellScope works is that it takes images of samples of blood cells that are placed on the camera sensor and lit up with a filtered light source. The filtered light exposes distinctive qualities of the cells, which are then interpreted by UCLA researcher Dr. Aydogan Ozcan's custom software. Before, the analyzing software could only run on computers. This meant that a person would have to send the images from his phone to a computer (Connelly). Recently, Ozcan and his UCLA team developed a software that can run directly on cell phones themselves. Their new device, called LUCAS, which stands for Lensless Ultra-wide-field Cell monitoring Array platform based on Shadow imaging, captures images to a phone chip that can then be analyzed by an algorithm program that is downloaded into the cell phone. "The image also can be transmitted wirelessly to a computer, which analyzes it and sends back a text message with the results" (Almasy).

According to UCLA's Blum Center for Developing Countries, the goal of these CellScope and LUCAS projects are "to bring modern diagnostic testing to remote regions cheaply and efficiently with telemicroscopy."

The clinical quality microscopes will especially come in handy for patients living in developing, rural countries, where medical equipment is scarce and there is a lack of qualified medical personnel (Rattner).

There are a lot different websites and media sources talking about this medical invention for cell phones. However, I believe that some of the more amateur writers did a better job at covering this issue than professionals like CNN and well-known newspapers. A lot of good information about the CellScope project came from students, bloggers, magazines, and other websites. CNN did a good job at providing quotes from Ozcan, but there wasn't a lot of information about the students and the CellScope project that started it all. It would have also been better if CNN included quotes from the UCLA students, patients in rural areas, and doctors who have actually used the device.

I thought that the magazines, ECN, The Future of Things, and Laser Focus World did a way better job at describing what the telemicroscopy projects were and their importance. I was impressed by the way the magazines included information about the different prototypes of the microscope and the kinds of technologies that were used. I was also impressed by the photographs that they provided with their articles. ECN Magazine took an interesting approach to the topic by making several analogies to teach people lessons.

"Give a kid a hammer, and the whole world looks like a nail," wrote Alfred Poor, the editor of ECN. His point was that you can repurpose something designed for one task, such as hammering, and use it for another. The lesson learned from this is that you don't need to start from scratch on every project, as demonstrated by CellScope's use of an cell phone and $50 attachments (Poor).

Bloggers did a surprisingly great job at explaining CellScope in an objective way. They also incorporated vivid photographs too.

Global Evision, a website dedicated to increasing awareness of the spread of more open markets and the global fight against poverty, actually quoted information about Ozcan and his team from one of the Wired.com bloggers.

I was glad that all of these media sources stated that the new invention would help people in rural, under-served areas. However, I think they all should have encouraged telemicroscopy in everyone's homes as well. A lot of people hate making appointments to see the doctor, and this new invention allows people to stay home and receive diagnosis from their doctors electronically. Only two websites aknowledged CellScope's ability to diagnose a person's mole growth at home.

ABC's coverage of the topic was pretty good. I provided a video clip from ABC7 News that you can watch.

Overall, I believe that there should have been a little more professional news coverage of this new invention because telemicroscopy will affect all cell phone owners and change the today's model of health care.

I can't wait to try CellScope or LUCAS for myself!

References:

(2006, March 1). Medical Records on Your Cell Phone: Computer Scientists Turn Cell Phones into Health Care Resource. Retrieved February 11, 2009, from ScienceDaily.com Web site: http://www.sciencedaily.com/videos/2006/0306-medical_records_on_your_cell_phone.htm

(2008, May 19). Microscope Enables Disease Diagnosis with a Cell Phone. Retrieved February 11, 2009, from Wired Blog Network Web site: http://blog.wired.com/gadgets/medicine/index.html

(2009). Telemicroscopy for Disease Diagnosis. Retrieved February 11, 2009, from Blum Center for Developing Economies Web site: http://blumcenter.berkeley.edu/telemicroscopy-disease-diagnosis

Almasy, Steve (2009, February 3). Invention turns cell phone into mobile medical lab. Retrieved February 11, 2009, from CNN.com/technology Web site: http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/02/03/medical.imaging.device/index.html

Anderson, Stephen (2008, April 3). Cell-phone microscope takes diagnostics into underserved communities. Laser Focus World, 98.

Connelly, Erin (2009, January 5). A Medical Lab in the Palm of Your Hand. Retrieved February 11, 2009, from Global Envision Web site: http://www.globalenvision.org/2009/01/04/medical-lab-palm-your-hand

Hart, Richard (2008, March 17). Cell camera turned medical microscope. Retrieved February 12, 2009, from ABC7 News Web site: http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/drive_to_discover&id=6023996

Poor, Alfred (2008, November 3). The CellScope. ECN Magazine, 24.

Rattner, Ethud (2008, April 11). The Birth of the Cell Phone Microscope. The Future of Things Magazine, Retrieved February 10, 2009, from http://thefutureofthings.com/news/1155/the-birth-of-the-cell-phone-microscope.html

Process Memo

Reporting LUNAFEST Corvallis was very exciting. I was able to meet different women, listen to inspirational music by Cassandra Robertson, hear heartfelt stories about dealings with breast cancer, watch amazing short films, and eat great organic popcorn and chips. I learned about various women's issues through the moving stories of women filmmakers in film, and I learned about the generosity of LUNAFEST toward nonprofit organizations in the fight against breast cancer. The people who attended LUNAFEST were not only there to watch short films, but to support breast cancer patients, survivors, and family members who have dealt with the terrible illness. It was beautiful to see the community come together for a significant cause like breast cancer. Organizations like Sibling Rivalry, Samaritan Health Services, Pacific Power, and Jannilou Quilt Shop made generous contributions toward the event. I left LUNAFEST Corvallis with a warm feeling of unity and hope in my soul. It was a very positive, educational, and moving film festival.

Some of the challenges that I faced while I reported the festival were trying to get an interview with the event coordinator, writing notes fast enough to keep up with the speakers, and taking legible notes in the dark. It was kind of difficult to get a good interview with Linda Lovett, the LUNAFEST coordinator, because she was preoccupied with her young daughter and was in a rush to get food. Luckily, I was able to get a couple good quotes from her in two minutes, and took a lot of notes during her presentation. Writing notes was another challenge because about everything they were saying was important, and they were talking too fast. In a crowd of 400, I couldn't raise my hand and ask them to repeat themselves. It was a festival, not a lecture. Another downfall was that once the program commenced, the lights in the auditorium dimmed to practically pitch black, so I couldn't see what and/or where on the paper I was writing.

Things that went well during the reporting part of the assignment were that I got great quotes from an 11-year-old award-winning filmmaker, guests at the event, and a sponsor from Pacific Power. I also got information about LUNAFEST, breast cancer, and each organization that supported the event from booths in the lobby.

During the writing portion of the assignment, I had a difficult time weeding through all of my notes to decide what I wanted to include in my story and in what order. It took me a long time to organize my notes and decide where I wanted to start. I knew right away that the main element of the event was the support against the breast cancer, but I was excited about an anecdote that I got about Ellie VanDevelder, the 11-year-old who won the da Vinci Film Festival with her piece about homeless in Corvallis, called "Our Invisible Friends". However, I thought about what was the most important part of the event, and decided to write a hard news story starting with the donations to breast cancer research. I think it worked out because I included the side stories about Ellie and the green movement in Corvallis afterward. There were so many great ideas from the event that I wanted to include, including the inspirational music performed by Cassandra Robertson and the moving words from experienced filmmaker Paul Turner. However, their stories didn't work very well with my writing structure, and they were less important, so I cut a lot of their information out. I didn't provide a real end or conclusion to my story, but because my piece was created in the hard news, inverted pyramid structure, I figured having the less significant information, such as the food and recycling bins worked.

I think my feedback for the story should be focused on my hard news writing structure, and the fact that I was able to get quotes from the event coordinator, attendees, speakers, volunteers, a sponsor, and a young filmmaker. Unfortunately, I could not include all of the quotes that I wanted to because they did not enhance my story's main elements, but I think next time, I shall try to squeeze them in somehow.