Week 7: Clear Firewall

The word "firewall" perfectly suits that purpose and function of what exactly a firewall is and does.

Per lecture segment "7d-System Utilities," a firewall is security system software that

• blocks unauthorized access
• hides the PC from view on the Internet

The Web site HowStuffWorks states the obvious "it's a barrier to keep destructive forces away from your property." This concept is probably very easy for most of us to grasp, but there are undoubtedly a percentage of individuals out there that if asked if they knew what a firewall is and what it does would respond with "Oh ya, I know what that is...one of those walls that is fire-proof!" And if we asked them if they knew of a relation to computers, perhaps they might add "probably a wall or somethin' that protects the computer if the house catches on fire." ...ehh where there's smoke there's fire. A firewall does protect a computer from the bad guys (a fire in this case.) Playing off of this ridiculous analogy, HowStuffWorks explains that a firewall's job is "similar to a physical firewall that keeps a fire from spreading from one area to the next."

We can also think of a firewall as our own immune systems.

Let's say that when we are born, we have the option of buying an immune system from the doctor. The doctor tells us that it is not necessary...but he recommends it because it will protect our body from harmful bacteria/viruses that we may encounter in our life and could be damaging to us. We say "sign me up!" and purchase an immune system. As we grow older it is important for us to monitor and support (or "update") our immune system by properly taking care of it. If we neglect our immune system, it could "expire" and become suppressed, allowing nasty viruses to enter our bodies (computers) and cause great damage.
Just as if we don't take care of our computers by monitoring firewalls, "bad guys" could potentially have access to our computer.

Week 6: Muddy Flash Memory

We all know that when you take a picture on a digital camera the picture will stay there unless you delete it. We also know that our PDA's contains and retains a plethora amount of information. Have you ever thought about how this is possible, or what the logistics are behind this "memorable" ability? Although it may seem like a simple concept at a glance, flash memory became more complicated the more I tried to really understand how it works.

Flash memory uses a memory chip (memory card) to store information without requiring a power source. USB flash drives also use flash memory, as USB's are removable storage (I think of them like a "middle man.") Think of flash memory like a mini-hard drive with a faster read access, but with not as much capacity and a slower erase/write time. It is nonvolatile, meaning the information is stored when the power is turned off. I found it is easier to think simplistically of flash memory instead of getting caught up of how flash memory actually works. But just to cover how flash memory works, I found a Web site that allows you to visually grasp this concept of such memory:
"Inside the flash chip, information is stored in cells. A floating gate protects the data

written in each cell. Tunneling electrons pass through a low conductive material to change the electronic charge of the gate in a "flash," clearing the cell of its contents so that it can be rewritten. This is how flash memory gets its name."

Some other types of familiar devices that use flash memory are:

• MP3 players
• Video game cards
• Modems

I'm not going to lie and say that I watched this very long YouTube video "A Story of Flash Memory," but I thought this would be entertaining and very informative for those of you who are interested in the history of flash memory.

I also found more enthusiastic and much shorter video about flash memory storage...enjoy!

Web 2.0 Project Skiing in Montreal

I am going to be honest...I was very intimidated by this project. First off, I had no absolutely no idea what "Web 2.0" was...and furthermore, I had no clue what this project was asking. Was I supposed to upload random pictures to a Web site? What type of story was I supposed to tell? After reviewing projects of other classmates I was able to gain insight into what was expected of me.

The first step was deciding on a story that could be interesting to other viewers, but also a story of mine that told often. And through that brainstorming process, I was led to my trip to Montreal, Canada. My best friend Lindsay had asked me to go skiing with her in Montreal the winter of 2008 falling into the beginning of 2009. Not only was this a general vacation to go skiing and have fun, it was an opportunity to go skiing in a country other than the United States of America. I am an avid skiier...and before my trip to Montreal, I had only skied in multiple cities in Colorado, as well as North Carolina.

I hope that that through my Web 2.0 project viewers are able to experience the excitement and awesomeness that I encountered.

I am not going to lie..I went through several different Web 2.0 tools before I settled on the right one for me. I tried "one true media" and "slide.com" but both sites were not compatible with my computer. Through this project I learned a great deal of patience. I had to weed through several "Web 2.0" tools until I found the right one for me. This project also taught me the importance of organizing and specifying data so that a story/situation/presentation presents itself in an effective and orderly fashion.

For my interaction method is a link to "polldaddy.com" that allows you guys to vote on a question that I proposed. I hope that individuals that take my poll will allow me to gather a sample data of people who view my blog that have skied/snowboarded in a different country versus people who have not done so.

Through this interaction I hope to gain insight from the amount of people who view my Web 2.0 story and if they have ever skied/snowboarded in a different country.


So here is my Web 2.0 project, enjoy :)

http://www.photoshow.com/watch/kZ5RG8DR


And for interaction I would greatly appreciate you to take this poll:

http://answers.polldaddy.com/poll/2665945/

Week 5: Clear Types of Memory

Memory is essential for a computer to work efficiently and effectively. As defined in the lecture segment "6e-Memory," memory is electronic components that store instructions to be executed and data.
A computer without memory is-in a roundabout and odd way-comparable to an individual who has Alzheimer's disease. If you are unaware of what is Alzheimer's, it is a brain disorder that destroys brain cells causing memory loss. So let's say we have someone who is suffering severely from Alzheimer's, they have absolutely no short-term or long-term memory...we have to repetitively teach them the same thing every day in order for them to do something so simple as: eating, brushing their teeth, opening up a drawer to get paper, etc. Just as if a computer had zero memory, we would have to "teach" it how to perform functions every time we used the computer. Sounds tiring.


There are two types of memory:

1. Volatile memory
2. Non-volatile memory
   

Volatile memory is memory that loses contents when the power is turned off. RAM (random access memory) is a type of volatile memory. It provides space for your computer to read and write data, but the data stored in RAM only stays there only as long as your computer is running.
In terms of someone who has Alzheimer's disease, volatile memory is comparable to someone who is suffering from short-term memory loss. You teach that individual to tie their shoes, but once that person is "turned off" (or perhaps goes to sleep) they will not remember how to tie their shoes once they are turned back "on" (wakes up).

Non-volatile memory is memory that keeps its contents even if the power is lost, it does not lose information when your computer is not running. ROM (read only memory) is non-volatile memory that is unchangeable. EEPROM (electrically erasable programmable read-only memory) is a type of read-only (ROM) non-volatile memory. With EEPROM, you are able to erase and rewrite data, but you don't have to erase the entire memory chip...you are able to select certain data on the chip that you want to erase/rewrite. Flash memory is another type of non-volatile memory that you are able to write and erase. A perfect example of a device that uses flash software is a digital camera. You are able to store a bunch of data (pictures) and you can delete a specific picture without deleting all of them.
Again for someone who has Alzheimer's disease, non-volatile memory is comparable to someone suffering from long-term memory loss. The individual remembers what they did or were told an hour ago, day before or even the week prior...but they forgot where they were born or forgot they went to high school, regardless of being "turned off" (going to bed) and turning back "on" (waking up). It is as if someone went into their brain (memory chip) and selected specific data (where they were born/attended high school) and erased those memories (data.)

Some Web sites that I found helpful are:
http://kb.iu.edu/data/ahty.html
http://www.computerhope.com/jargon/m/memory.htm

Non-volatile memory is demonstrated in a video from YouTube showing data that is able to pick up where it left off after turning the power off and back on.