DATABASE: Power
Tools: Sorting Through the Crowded Specialized Database Toolbox
By: Lisa Vaas
Published By: ARS Technica
Date: 4/27/2016
There are many options for database-engines and it becomes
increasingly more difficult to decide on what database will work best for the
intended use of it. As stated in the article by Lisa Vaas, “But today, it's
difficult to assign a one-size-fits-all measurement to the world of
non-relational databases such as Riak and Apache Cassandra. WildWorks ran its
benchmarks and decided on Riak for Animal Jam, and Uber did the same for its
dispatch platform. IoT car tech company VCARO decided the exact opposite: Cassandra
beat Riak at handling vehicle-generated sensor data. Software Company Nuance
Communications opted for something else entirely, choosing Couchbase for
handling speech and imaging apps.” This issue comes up when companies
developing software like Revit need to house multiple databases of codes, electrical
equipment, structural equipment, HVAC equipment, architectural features, and
the overall operation of the program, and more becomes an extremely crucial
decision. As stated in the article, Uber chose to go with a software that could
“read and modify writes” so that a rider is not stranded, nor is a driver
without a passenger especially when a rider cancels a ride. This can be related
to AutoDesk’s program Revit. If the company makes the wrong decision on a
database-engine it could cause a problem in the overall programs “decision”
making abilities. Such as, calling out errors in a buildings structure based on
a code, if a program does not call this out it could be catastrophic.
NETWORK: The
Labs that Protect Against Online Warfare
By: Christian Borys
Published By: BBC
Date: 1/12/2018
When you think of a network, you think of the internet and
how everything is interconnected online in some way. When you start shopping on
amazon for a dog leash, all the ads that pop-up for the next few days relate to
some-sort-of purchase you could make for your dog. This can be a little scary,
but what is even more terrifying for companies and even countries is a security
breach. Everyone stores information in cloud based servers, or use programs
which require a network of some sort now. This opens the door for security
breaches more than ever, and if the information falls into the wrong hands it
could deadly, “A brazen example of this new era occurred on 23 December 2015,
when a stunned Ukrainian power plant worker watched the cursor on his computer
screen come to life. As the cursor began to click through his system, he tried
to regain control, but became locked out of his own computer. From far away, a
sophisticated hacker was controlling his computer,” written by Christian Borys.
This new fear caused many corporate giants like IBM and even a civil engineering
company Bechtel to create these cyber-security test labs. Some of these labs
are being used to train and show employees how to combat a cyber or network
attack so that a nuclear melt-down at a power plant does not occur, or even the
explosion of an oil rig is not triggered due to tampering. Storing things and
having everything connected to a network can be very helpful in some areas, but
opens the door to our enemies and people to attempt to hack into them and
tamper with them.
SOCIOLOGY: The
Robots are Coming and Sweden is Fine
By: Peter S. Goodman
Published By: The New York Times
Date: 12/27/2017
Robots are taking over in many industrial manufacturing capacities,
in construction, and even warfare. These robots consist of fully automated
manufacturing of products to drones that the military uses for spying and/or
bombing purposes. This shift from manual labor to machines is causing some
societal issues for some countries and others are prospering. The design of
robots helps humans and society in many ways, but it can also hurt it. As
stated above, robotics is used in manufacturing, this speeds up the process
allowing for a cheaper overhead cost and the ability to produce more product
faster. Those are fully automated, but like the drones being used for military purposes,
there is a need for someone to control it still. This keeps that person
employed, but also much safer than they would be in a fighter jet flying over a
war zone. This is very similar to construction equipment currently, there are
loaders and dozers that can be operated by someone sitting at a desk safe in an
office. As stated in the article by Peter Goodman, “Mr. Persson, 35, sits in
front of four computer screens, one displaying the loader he steers as it lifts
freshly blasted rock containing silver, zinc, and lead. If he were down in the
mine shaft. . . he would be inhaling dust and exhaust fumes. Instead he reclines
in an office chair. . .” This evolving nature of robotics and machines in our
daily lives causes some reservations by people, and others welcome it with open
arms. The issue with the improvement of self-driving cars and big rigs,
automated construction equipment, etc. is that it makes those who depend on a
pay-check from a taxi service or that deliver packages see their job being taken
away from them by robots causing them to lose their only source of income. Innovations and inventions are great and as a society
we should not see them as an issue, but in reality it can be for many
employees.
FUTURE:
With all of these technological advancements in all
industries there are a few concerns and reservations to consider. I have
brought some of those concerns up in the respective categories above. With
networks and databases comes the ability to hack into those systems and corrupt
them, causing many things to occur. Possibly one of the more concerning topics
is automation and what that could do to society as a whole. The robotics
industry is making strides in this industry putting people out of a job, and
also giving others a better life like amputees getting a robotic leg which
simulates and acts like a normal human leg.
COMMENTS:
Christopher Thach
I believe that the virtual assistant will be in homes, as
some homes are already equipped with this type of technology which allows for
the homeowner to do those things that you had touched on. This includes
diagnosing issues or problems within the house, being able to then fix those
problems yourself with the assist of the home, and other applications like
drawing the blinds or changing the thermostat. There are a few issues which you
touched on, the biggest being the security issues. A home that is equipped with
this technology needs to be connected to a network and database opening the
door to hackers who want to “for the fun of it” cause problems in the house or
scare the occupants in the home. Although, if you use a security system in your
home this could also be an issue. A hacker could get into your security system
and tamper with it allowing for someone to break into your home, spy on you
with the pre-installed cameras, and know your routines. Essentially, what I am
getting at here is that with every new technological advancement there comes
the issue of “how do we keep this secure.”
Thomas Sisson
I was amazed to read that in Amsterdam that they are having
success with 3D-printing a steel bridge. You had touched on the major issues
with printing these bridges in the manner in which they wanted to do it, but if
they are truly successful this could open the door for many other applications.
There could be applications where they could print a bridge in a 3
rd
world country in a few weeks that will last them hundreds of years hopefully,
or it could have military applications. The only concerning thing with this is
the time frame. It took them 3 years (prospectively as it is still not
complete) to do one small pedestrian bridge. This could have been built in well
under a year.
Luciana Tangarie
You make some interesting points about Robotics and AI and
how these advancements in this are both good and bad in certain ways. These new
developments are helping doctors to better and much sooner diagnose cancer and
heart disease as you had stated. This is huge in helping us as humans survive and
live longer than we have been. At the same time these robots are taking people’s
jobs, their lively hoods. This I believe is a bigger issue since everything in
this world costs money, and you need money to survive, and if you are out of
work then you will have no money. This is a big issue for societies everywhere.
The robot apocalypse featured in many movies is a possibility, but I believe is
not a concern we should have at this moment in time. I believe the bigger issue
is someone gaining control of the robots to intentionally cause harm and damage
to a country.
