This is supposed to be North Korea’s attempt at improving their own computer technology, but Red Star takes many features from Microsoft and only runs in Korean; it appears they still have a long way to go.

http://www.news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8604912.stm

The airplane today is a marvel of technology. However, they are not without their flaws; airplanes are significant contributors to air and noise pollution. Emissions from supersonic airplanes “affect atmospheric chemistry e.g. ozone production and destruction” (Sovde, Gauss, Isaken, Pitari, Marizy, July 11^th, 2007). These effects would be increased as air traffic is predicted to have an increase after 2020 (Sovde, Gauss, Isaken, Pitari, Marizy). Fortunately, scientists and engineers are working on designing more energy efficient aircraft.

By 2015, it is most likely that airplanes will fly on solar power. There have already been many experiments with solar powered, unmanned aircraft. The first flight of a solar powered plane took place even before the 21^st century, in 1974; the ‘Sunrise 1’ took flight for about 20 minutes and flew 100 meters above the earth. (Noth, Siegwart, Engel, 2007). In  2007, it was stated that “significant progresses have been realized recently in the domains of flexible solar cells, high energy density batteries, miniaturized MEMS and CMOS sensors, and powerful processors” (Noth, Siegwart, Engel). However, current technology is still limited, as “a solar aircraft capable of continuous flight needs to fly at constant altitude” (Noth, Siegwart, Engel). Future airplanes will not have these constraints. Fully manned planes will run exclusively, or largely, on solar energy. Flying above cloud cover, planes will easily receive all the sunlight they need. There will be major drops in air and sound pollution, as solar energy is clean, quiet, and renewable. Since jet fuel will be rendered obsolete, the cost of flying will also dramatically decrease and flying will be available to more people.

2020 will be another step forward in more efficient flight. Airplanes will be made up of “Shape Memory Alloys” (Gonzalez, 2005). Inspired by the way birds fly, this new material will allow airplanes to adjust the shape of their wings in flight to achieve better air flow (Gonzalez). Known as “wing morphing”, this technology will require more time to develop than solar, as smart materials are still “unreliable” materials (Gonzalez). The move away from a rigid wing with ailerons will give planes the ability to adapt to different situations more effectively. For example, an airplane will be able to expand its wings during takeoff, maximizing the amount of lift it gets. Wings will automatically morph to wind conditions to cut through the air smoothly. By flying with improved aerodynamics, airplanes will need to use less energy in flight. Aircraft will also appear to be more organic and natural, aesthetically reflecting the shift towards greener flying.

However, in 2029, transportation history will be forever changed when NASA scientists develop and perfect ‘magnetic levitation’. Flight vehicles will be powered with “a magnetic force strong enough to levitate (cancel Earth’s gravity upon) water and most biological materials”(Strayer, Liu, Hays, Kidd, Israelsson, 2005).These vehicles will be capable of running for months on end without recharging; they will be clean, extremely fast, and safe. Controlled flight in space will no longer be restricted to space shuttles; these vehicles will have “flight thermal fluid devices that are to be used in the life-support systems and resource utilization systems for human and robotic exploration and colonization of other planets and moons” (Strayer et al). This technology would bring about massive social change, however. Would nations revert to the old colonial system and would we see a resurgence of empires? Or, would humanity unite as one race and go forward together into space?

In reality, scientists are still on their way to developing these advancements in flight. It may not be long, though. Skies may one day be calm and the air, truly fresh; the surge of aircraft predicted by Sovde et al. may have less damaging consequences. Not only will more of us be able to get around our own planet quicker, we may someday travel to distant locations in outer space. This is an exciting age we live in; technologies we have dreamed of could possibly become real in our lifetime.

References

-          Gonzalez, L. (2005) Morphing Wing Using Shape Memory Alloys: A

Concept Proposal. Retrieved April 4^th

From http://tiims.tamu.edu/2005summerREU/papers/Gonzalez.pdf

-          Noth, A., Siegwart, R., Engel, W (December 2007) Design for

Solar Powered Airplanes for Continuous

Flight. Retrieved April 4^th from

httsp://www.sky-sailor.ethz.ch/docs/Conceptual_Design_of_Solar_Powered_Airplanes_for_continuous_flight2.pdf

-          Sovde, O. A., Gauss, M., Isaken, I. S. A., Pitari, G., Marizy, C (July 11^th, 2007) Aircraft Pollution – a

Futuristic View. Retrieved April 7^th from

http://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/docs/00/32/85/10/PDF/acp-7-3621-2007.pdf

-          Strayer, D., Liu, Y., Hays, C., Kidd, R., Israelsson, U. E. (2005)

Simulating the Moon’s Gravity on Earth

Using Magnetic Levitation. Retrieved April 4^th from

http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/leag2005/pdf/2030.pdf

-          Kelly, F.C (1989) The Wright Brothers: A Biography. Retrieved March 30^th from Google Scholar.

-          Wikipedia (2010) The Wright Brothers. Retrieved March 30^th from

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wright_brothers.

Flight throughout History

Before the Industrial age, humans were just beginning to experiment with flight. Around 300 BC, the ancient Chinese began to fly kites, lanterns, and balloons during festivals and ceremonies. While these were not manned, human flights, they introduced the concept of flying to humans (Wikipedia, 2010). The ancient Greeks also made some contributions to aviation. At about the 4^th century BC, the mathematician Archytas invented a steam powered model of a bird that reportedly flew about 200 meters (Wikipedia). Heron of Alexandria, an engineer, designed what is believed to be the first steam engine. The aeolipile used steam power to create rotation (Wikipedia). While not originally intended for flight, this device would be used centuries later as designers sought out methods of powering their aircraft.

The Industrial age saw the rise of research into aviation technology and aerodynamics. At the forefront of this research was Sir George Cayley, a British engineer known as the ‘Father of Aviation’. Cayley is credited with recognising “those four crucial areas – propulsion, structure, aerodynamics, and stability and control – necessary for the successful achievement of powered flight” (Ackroyd, 2002, p.2). As opposed to gliders, Cayley determined that planes would need a power source for practical flight. Previous inventors like Clement Ader and Sir Hiram Maxim tried steam power, but the engines proved to be either underpowered or too heavy (Wikipedia). When faced with this realization, however, Cayley described a propulsion system remarkably similar to the internal combustion engine used in post- industrial aircraft (Ackroyd, 2002). Cayley calculated that lift in wings was generated not only by wind flowing off the wing, but how wind flowed into the wing (Ackroyd, 2002). Modern wings are now designed to cut through the air as smoothly as possible to generate maximum lift. Cayley implemented a tail in his design in an attempt to address the issue of stability (Ackroyd, 2002); every aircraft today, be it helicopter or fixed-wing, is built with a tail. The advances made by Sir Cayley are among the most significant in aviation history. Without his research, two certain brothers would never have left the ground.

Shortly after the Industrial age, the Wright brothers conducted the first controlled, manned flight in an airplane. Along with studying the works of Cayley, the Wrights pioneered some of their own ideas that influenced the design of future aircraft. One major contribution was their use of a wind tunnel to test air flow over wings and propellers. Their wind tunnel “had characteristics that appear to be comparable to modern wind tunnels” (Ash, Miley, Landman, Hyde, p.6). The data they collected from the wind tunnel experiments allowed them to accurately craft aerodynamic wings and propellers. The brothers also conceived the idea of ‘wing warping’ after experimenting with a biplane kite. Wing warping was their solution to control and stabilize a plane’s lateral (side to side) motion. While wing warping was replaced by ailerons, the design was “the first effective element of lateral control” (Jacob, 1998, p.2) and was a major component of the Wright’s successful flights. The use of wing warping has also been brought back as a possible method of manoeuvre and control in modern unmanned aerial vehicles (Jacob, 1998).

Several years after the flight of the Wright brothers, airplane design took another step forward with the invention of the Junkers J 1. Invented by German engineer Hugo Junkers in 1915, the Junkers J 1 was the first plane with a metal body (Guttman, 2000). This proved to be an extremely significant design; the complicated bracing system needed to support wood and fabric planes was rendered obsolete. As a result, the plane was more aerodynamic and the metallic shell could withstand higher speeds.

Prior airplanes had used propellers as their main mode of propulsion, because their wood and fabric structures could only go that fast. With a strong enough body now in place, engineers and scientists could now improve the propulsion system. Another German engineer, Hans Pabst von Ohain, designed the world’s first jet plane. Designed with the Heinkel Aircraft Works, the HE 178 made its first flight on August, 1939 and was the precursor to today’s modern jet planes (Karwatka, 2004). As World War 2 carried on, Ohain “began working on axial flow compressor designs. While more complex, those compressors have unlimited air flow potential” and are used in “all modern jet engines” (Karwatka). Thus, the final area of flight defined by Cayley was brought to its current state today.

From kites and floating lanterns to super-sonic jets, the development of the airplane has spanned centuries. People can travel to almost any location in the world in mere hours. However, many of the designers who made innovations to the airplane would have been disappointed to see the plane used so heavily in conflicts. Planes are also major contributors to global warming and sound pollution; one can only hope that the cleaner technology being researched for cars can one day be applied to airplanes. Despite all this, no one can deny that along with digital media, airplanes have made the world a smaller place.

References:

• Ackroyd, J. A. D., (2002) Sir George Cayley, the Father of Aeronautics Part 2: Cayley’s aeroplanes.

Notes and Records of the Royal Society. Retrieved March 21^st from

http://rsnr.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/56/3/333.full.pdf

• Ash, R. L., Miley,  S. J., Landman, D., & Hyde, K. W.(2001) Evolution of Wright Flyer Propellers

between 1903 and 1912. American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Journal. Retrieved

March 21^st from

http://ns97.webmasters.com/*wrightexperience.com/httpdocs/indepth/pdfs/props.pdf

• Guttman, J. (May 2000) Only two of Hugo Junkers’ Giant Airliners were built, but they Drew

Attention Wherever they Flew. Aviation History. Retrieved March 23^rd from the Academic Search

Premier.

• Jacob, J. D. (1998) On the Fluid Dynamics of Adaptive Airfoils. Proceedings of 1998 ASME

International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition. Retrieved March 21^st from

Google Scholar.

• Karwatka, D. (2004) Hans Pabst von Ohain and the First Jet Plane. Tech Directions. Retrieved

March 23^rd from the Academic Search Premier.

• Wikipedia (2010) Aviation History. Retrieved March 21^st from

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aviation_history#Alberto_Santos-Dumont

• Wikipedia(2010) Hero Of Alexandria. Retrieved March 21^st from

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hero_of_Alexandria

Being in the same room as the others had its benefits. We could keep track of each others’ progress pretty easily, and it was easy to distribute research and editing assignments to different groups. All the credit goes to the students who took the initiative to organize us and give us our tasks. Of course, being in the same room as the people you are editing may be an uncomfortable situation. In particular, the team I was editing had some run on sentences and repeated words. I did not want to make too many changes to their work though, because I did not want to offend them. I would have felt the same way if someone had made drastic, sweeping changes to my wiki.

This research project really showed how a wiki goes through many changes. Even as I had just finished editing, my group members saved their versions right after me. Our own revisions were being overlapped and overwritten by each other. It seemed like a cycle; I did not agree with all the changes that they had made. Then again, it is impossible to please everyone so we agreed on a version that had most of our mutual edits.

Evoke will be released March 3, 2010 (tomorrow)!

http://www.urgentevoke.com/

“The mastery of the turn is the story of how aviation became practical as a means of transportation. It is the story of how the world became small” (Langwiesche). Starting from its humble beginnings in Kitty Hawk and the Wright brothers, the airplane has made significant contributions to the way we live in our world. It is a fantastic example of space-biased technology, as it can physically bring people together to share knowledge. Aviation also allows us many other affordances-experiencing different cultures, doing business, and in times of need, helping others.

One area of social behaviour that aircraft help implement is helping others. Wanting to find a recent article, I typed in a search in CNN and found one regarding the air effort in Haiti: http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/americas/01/18/haiti.airdrop/index.html.

The 7.0 earthquake that struck Haiti devastated the country’s infrastructure, making it extremely difficult to bring in much needed aid supplies. In order to avoid “the gridlock of Haiti’s main airport and congestion of roadways” (CNN, January 18^th, 2010) the US Air Force C-17 cargo plane conducted a supply drop north of Port-Au-Prince’s airport. There was some concern by government officials that the air drops would “…lead to riots as people try to go after that stuff” (CNN). However, military officials said that the situation on the ground would be handled. The lone C-17 was able to carry 55,000 pounds of food and water, including 9,600 bottles of water and 42,000 “meals-ready-to eat” packages. There was some worry that as many as a tenth of the water bottles would break upon landing, as the plane dropped the supplies from 600 feet. All 40 supply pallets deployed their parachutes, and “in less than a minute the food and water was on the ground, ready to be unpacked and distributed” (CNN) The military used this first flight as a test to see if airdrops would be efficient ways to bring in supplies to Haiti, and declared it a success.

Airdrops are definitely having a very positive effect on society in Haiti. With the roads and port damaged, the easiest way to bring in aid is through the air. This demonstrates the value of the airplane. International aid can be flown in quickly, and the injured can be evacuated speedily. It is one thing for politicians to stand up and say a few words, but to show care and compassion in the form of practical assistance means much more. Of course, this is not the only time planes have been used for humanitarian efforts; survivors of the 2004 tsunami in South East Asia, Hurricane Katrina, and countless other disasters have been saved through the air.

(Associated Press)

Many ordinary people are also donating food and water, along with cash donations. Their donations are carried to Haiti by air as well, except on civilian planes chartered by non government aid organizations. This is another component of space-biased technology, as authority is decentralized. It is not only just the government that can send aid; aircraft are available to non-government agencies as well, so they can also help in similar fashion. For example, the aid group “Hope for Haiti has already filled two 757 airplanes with supplies” (NBC, January 20^th, 2010).

As mentioned in the article, a possible reversal scenario could have the airdrops inadvertently causing chaos and rioting. It is possible that the ground personnel in the drop zones may not be able to distribute supplies quickly enough; also, unlike airports, these drop zones have no structures to safely store and hand out supplies. The workers could be overwhelmed if enough Haitians become frustrated with the slow rate of distribution. (Airdrops are solely for delivering supplies quickly to the ground; organizing and handing out those supplies is another story.) To prevent this, other forms of infrastructure like the roads and ports would have to be re-established to reinforce the airdrops.

(Associated Press)

References:

Associated Press. (February 7th, 2010) Haiti Earthquake. Retrieved February 10th, 2010 from: http://news.yahoo.com/nphotos/Port-au-Prince/photo//100209/481/600d89ee9c514aa6ad3e0ad5d3b75110//s:/ap/cb_haiti_earthquake#photoViewer=/100207/481/91903ed798244928ac5d6f113c598e7e and: http://news.yahoo.com/nphotos/Port-au-Prince/photo//100208/481/fcd52694da134221981d920fe5c18865/

H. A. Innis. (Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1972) Empire And Communications. Retrieved February 10^th, 2010 from: http://www9.georgetown.edu/faculty/irvinem/theory/Innis-Communication.html

NBC-2, (January 20th, 2010) Hope for Haiti: Food donations a priority. Retrieved February 6th from: http://www.nbc-2.com/Global/story.asp?S=11853914

Shaughnessy, L. (January 18^th, 2010) US Air Force drops 55,000 pounds of food, water into Haiti. Retrieved February 6^th, 2010 from: http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/americas/01/18/haiti.airdrop/index.html

ThinkExist. William Langwiesche Quotes. Retrieved February 6^th, 2010 from: http://thinkexist.com/quotation/the_mastery_of_the_turn_is_the_story_of_how/332992.html

Part 1: Communication in everyday life

Questions:

1. Tell me about the different ways that you used communication for 24 hours in your journal.
2. What was the most common communication media that you used in 24 hours?
3. What was the most common purpose for the communication media you used?
4. What do you think you learned most about the role of communication media in your everyday life by keeping this journal?
5. What was the most surprising thing that you learned from keeping this journal?
6. What are some of the positive implications about having communication media in your life?
7. What are some of the negative implications about having communication media in your life?
8. How do you think your life would be if you did not have access to communication media; please talk about both the positive and the negative things that might happen.
9. If you had to choose one communication media to take on a desert island, which one would you choose and why?

Marissa

1. She uses Facebook for friend interaction, her cell phone to text with friends. She rarely calls them, but rather, prefers to text. She spends her free time watching TV and uses the computer to do homework and go on Facebook.
2. She uses her cell phone to text and call people, computer for homework and social interaction, and takes the bus or drives her car to get to places.
3. The most common purpose for the communication media used is to connect with her friends.
4. One thing she learned about the role of communication media in her everyday life is that “I cannot live without technology!”
5. The most surprising thing she learned from keeping this journal is that she uses the car and cell phone the most.
6. Some positive implications about having communication media in her life is that it’s a fast and efficient way to talk to people.
7. Some negative implications about having communication media in her life is that her brain would eventually “turn to mush”. She spends more time looking at a screen rather than looking outside at the beautiful scenery.
8. She suggests that it might be healthier for her to get up and do something other than stare at a screen if she did not have access to communication media. The negative thing about not having access to communication media is the loss of fast and efficient interaction with others.
9. If she were to go to a desert island, she would take her iPhone because it has everything on it!

Kevin

1. He uses the computer for Facebook, MSN, youtube and multi-player games, his cell phone for texting, and the normal house phone for calls.
2. He usually uses the computer for msn throughout the day.
3. He uses the computer to communicate with friends.
4. He learned that the communication media being used in his everyday life is very distracting.
5. The most surprising thing about using a computer is that he went back to that communication media three or four times a day to continue to communicate with people even when he says he is “leaving”.  He also says “it’s addicting.”
6. Some positive implications about having communication media in his life is that it’s very easy to keep in touch with people. News travels fast.
7. Some negative implications about having communication media in his life is that it can be very distracting. Instead of doing homework, he is on Facebook or youtube.
8. If he did not have access to communication media, he would be able to get more work done, but without that communication media, he would not be able to complete that work as efficiently.
9. If he were to go to a desert island, he would bring his cell phone because it is more compact and is easier to communicate with people.

Dylan

1. He does not have a cell phone, so he uses his computer to access feeds and to communicate with other people. He uses email, instant messaging and Facebook to talk to friends, as well as microblogging (Twitter) from time to time.
2. The most common communication media used is his computer.
3. He uses his computer for RSS feeds for blogs, communication with others, and software products.
4. He found it interesting that many communication media is not by choice; he uses it to communicate with people because they use that certain media to communicate with others.
5. The most surprising thing he learned from keeping this journal is that he only used the phone ONCE!
6. A positive implication about having communication media in his life is that it is efficient to communicate with people all over the place.
7. A negative implication about having communication media in his life is that it is DEFINITELY distracting. He always feels the constant desire to see what new stuff pops up.
8. Without access to communication media, he would be doing a lot of projects locally instead of internationally. He would go crazy eventually without it.
9. If he were to go on a desert island, he would take his computer for emailing because it is decentralized and doesn’t use a service provider.

Grace

1. She uses Facebook to interact with her friends because she does not have MSN installed on the computer she is currently using. She uses her cell phone to text partners for projects and occasionally, gets a lot of random texts from people she doesn’t know. She also prefers talking face to face with people, not by text or phone call.
2. The most common communication media used is the computer.
3. She uses the computer to interact with people fast and efficiently and to surf the web. She also talks face to face with people.
4. Could live without cell phone or computer for a while, then she’ll go crazy!
5. She learned that she spends a lot of time on the computer for interaction with friends.
6. Some positive implications about having communication media in her life is that it is a fast and efficient way to keep in touch with her friends. Also, texting is a discrete way to tell people something.
7. A negative implication about having communication media in her life is that if people aren’t talking face to face with others, you lose human aspect of social interaction with people.
8. If she did not have access to communication media, she could spend more time in person with friends, but she would not have a fast and efficient way of communication on the fly.
9. If she were to go on a desert island, she would take her cell phone to communicate with others and to stay connected.

Part 2: A world without communication media

• Send high priority letter to invite / confirm attendance. Provide LOTS of information about the event. Ask for response indicating exact time presenter wishes to leave and arrive by plane. Provide self-addressed stamped envelope for high priority return message. Expect response 8 months before event.
Provide a Skype username so they can communicate in person with event organizers. This will help assure them that we are not a scam.
• Instruct attendee, in first step, to arrange flight with a local travel agency and send the flight details in the envelope from the first step. They will be reimbursed by event organizers at the event. Tell them that hotel will be arranged. (Attach hotel info to invitation message in step one).
• Mail attendee again (with slightly lower priority mail service) two months prior to event along with any news. Mention that a pickup service will be at the airport; they will have a sign with the attendee’s name. Assume that they are still attending.

Most difficult part: not seeming like a scam (since the attendees will not see us in person until they arrive for the event!)

Most missed media: Email. FAST!  Receiver has some certainty that sender is who they say, especially with cryptographic signatures (for example, GnuPG).

Expenses:

Mail:
Must send three high priority messages (with confirmation message and signature): 2 to each attendee, first one with an attached SASE they can use to confirm.
To Rwanda: $145×3 = $435
To UK: $80×3 = $240
To Australia: $80×3 = $240
To China: $112×3 = $336
$1251 (for mail service, with tracking, to and from 5 distant places using Canada Post).

Airport pickup:
Pickup via luxury sedan from YVR for each passenger: $75 × 5 = $375. Total = $475

TOTAL:  $1726

We were fortunate however, that most of our members already had a Facebook account.  This meant that we only had to give out our Facebook username URL or our first and last names in order to find each other.  There is a preconceived notion that Facebook lets people easily find each other with just names, for example, but this approach relies on Facebook already publishing a tremendous wealth of information about each person. Because nobody in our group was “friends” with each other on Facebook previous to the activity, we needed to search for each other on the site the information given. Thankfully, the site accurately filters the most likely people to know each other.  It was also easy because we could recognize them by their profile picture, or we could make an educated guess based on the fact that they were in the SFU network.

The ability to find the other members of our group was very convenient and not necessarily a hardship, but it also illustrates one of McLuhan’s  ideas quite clearly.  In this activity we had a ‘need’ to find other users.  McLuhan states that there is “… a very serious dilemma between our claim to privacy and the community’s need to know.”  This is very true with the Facebook medium.  Although most of us found each other, thus fulfilling our common need for the activity, we now had access to information that we did not previously have access too.  The information provided on a users profile is at the users discretion, but the ‘private’ information that is protected by the filters of Facebook are easily destroyed.

Facebook was a good means of communication for our group, but additional resources such as a computer and access to the internet were pertinent to the activity.  We encountered a small issue with this as well because not all of our members had their own computers or access to the internet was not available.  This meant that we had to take turns using the desktop computers which also took up valuable time.  Although this issue was minor, it shows that although Facebook may be a decent communication medium, the process of communication necessary is not as easy as we had assumed.

Overall, Facebook was a fairly easy medium to communicate with.  As a group, we assumed that it would be very quick and easy to get the message to all of our members in a short amount of time, but we were wrong.  The limitations of Facebook caused us to only transfer the message to four of our six members.

So this love of drawing lead me to SFU Surrey’s Interactive Arts and Technology, which I hope will lead me to a career in game art and design.

I could post self-portrait that I did a few months ago, but it looks like a police sketch This photo is pretty old too; I’m not into taking hundreds of photos of myself.