airaweeklyblog

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Blog #12

Emerging technologies are shaping the world in ways that affect everyone, even if you rarely touch a computer. They’re not just confined to Silicon Valley or your tech-savvy neighbor, they’re embedded in daily life, often working behind the scenes.

Modern healthcare is powered by technology. Wearables like Fitbits or smartwatches track health metrics, while AI helps doctors diagnose conditions faster and more accurately. Even if you’re not wearing the tech, it’s improving the tools your doctor uses to keep you healthy.

Ever used a thermostat like Nest or a smart assistant like Alexa? That’s IoT (Internet of Things) technology, learning your habits to make your home more efficient. Your morning coffee might be brewed by a smart machine that knows when you wake up. Even if you don’t use these gadgets, the appliances you buy are increasingly “smart” by default.

If you’ve ridden in a newer car, chances are you’ve benefited from emerging tech like lane-keeping assistance, automated emergency braking, or even semi-autonomous driving. Public transport systems also use AI and big data to optimize routes and schedules, so you get where you’re going faster and more reliably.

You don’t need to be a tech wizard to feel the ripple effects of innovation. Emerging tech is like a silent partner in your life, making things smoother, safer, and smarter, even if you never sit down at a computer. It’s like having a personal assistant you didn’t ask for but secretly love!

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Blog #11

How does minecraft use emerging technologies?

Minecraft is a playground for AI experimentation. Researchers use the game to train AI agents to perform tasks like navigating, building, or even fighting mobs. Platforms like Project Malmo (a Minecraft-based AI testing environment by Microsoft) allow developers to test AI systems in complex, dynamic worlds. Who knew that while you're crafting your dream castle, an AI might be learning how to mine diamonds more efficiently than you?

Minecraft has embraced VR technology, allowing players to immerse themselves fully in its blocky universe. Playing in VR gives you a fresh perspective—climbing mountains, swimming with squids, or standing face-to-face with an Enderman becomes a surreal experience. It’s like stepping inside your childhood Lego creations, except these blocks fight back.

Minecraft Realms, the game’s private server hosting service, is powered by cloud computing. This allows players to share and maintain persistent worlds without needing a high-tech rig or a constant connection. Whether you’re building a city with friends or competing in minigames, the cloud keeps your creations alive even when you log off.

Minecraft, the beloved block-building game, has embraced emerging technology in surprising and innovative ways that go far beyond punching trees and fighting creepers. Here's how it’s leading the charge:

1. AI and Machine Learning

Minecraft is a playground for AI experimentation. Researchers use the game to train AI agents to perform tasks like navigating, building, or even fighting mobs. Platforms like Project Malmo (a Minecraft-based AI testing environment by Microsoft) allow developers to test AI systems in complex, dynamic worlds. Who knew that while you're crafting your dream castle, an AI might be learning how to mine diamonds more efficiently than you?

2. Virtual Reality (VR)

Minecraft has embraced VR technology, allowing players to immerse themselves fully in its blocky universe. Playing in VR gives you a fresh perspective—climbing mountains, swimming with squids, or standing face-to-face with an Enderman becomes a surreal experience. It’s like stepping inside your childhood Lego creations, except these blocks fight back.

3. Cloud Computing

Minecraft Realms, the game’s private server hosting service, is powered by cloud computing. This allows players to share and maintain persistent worlds without needing a high-tech rig or a constant connection. Whether you’re building a city with friends or competing in minigames, the cloud keeps your creations alive even when you log off.

4. Blockchain and NFTs

Although not officially endorsed by Mojang, some third-party developers have experimented with integrating blockchain technology into Minecraft servers, enabling in-game economies and NFT-based assets. However, Mojang has taken a firm stance against NFTs, citing concerns about inclusivity and fairness in the game.

5. Education and Simulation

Through Minecraft: Education Edition, the game has been transformed into an educational tool, teaching everything from programming to history. Teachers use it to simulate real-world environments, like ancient civilizations or ecological systems, providing an interactive and engaging way to learn.

6. Procedural Generation

Minecraft’s algorithm for creating infinite, unique worlds is a classic example of procedural generation, a technique that's a cornerstone of modern gaming and simulation technologies. Every seed creates a new adventure, blending randomness with structured rules to create a playable masterpiece every time.

Minecraft isn’t just a game; it’s a platform for innovation. From AI to VR, it’s constantly evolving, proving that even the simplest-looking blocks can build bridges to the future. Now, if only they’d use that tech to finally make birch wood useful...

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Blog #10

McAfee Antivirus has developed a bit of a reputation over the years, and not all of it is glowing. First off, let’s acknowledge its contributions—it does offer decent protection against malware and threats, but the issues often outweigh the benefits for many users. The main gripes? It’s heavy, bloated, and about as subtle as a marching band in a library.

Installing McAfee can feel like inviting a guest over who insists on rearranging your furniture, eating all your snacks, and then charging you for it. The software has been known to hog system resources, slowing down your computer until it feels like you're trying to run a marathon in quicksand. And let’s not even get started on the persistent pop-ups and reminders to renew—it’s like having a clingy ex who refuses to take a hint.

On top of that, the uninstall process has historically been a nightmare, requiring special tools just to fully remove it from your system. Ironically, it can sometimes feel like you need antivirus protection from the antivirus itself. While it has improved in recent years, for many, McAfee is still the software equivalent of finding out your sandwich has mayo when you specifically asked for none—it works, but it’s not what you wanted.

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Blog #9

Cloud computing is the behind-the-scenes wizard making our daily life smoother than we even realize. Every time we stream our favorite show on Netflix, save a photo on Google Drive, or ask Alexa a question (like why your plant is dying despite your "expert" care), we're accessing the power of the cloud. It’s what keeps our emails synced, our playlists available offline, and our social media feeds running like clockwork.

Think about it: Without the cloud, you'd be carrying around USB drives like it's 2008, juggling storage space like a circus act, and watching buffering wheels more than actual videos. The cloud gives us convenience, scalability, and access to everything you need, anywhere. And hey, if you forget to save that work project? Don’t sweat it. Auto-save to the cloud probably has your back. It's like having a digital safety net, but cooler because it doesn’t judge your 2 a.m. cat meme searches.

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Blog #8

This week we didn't really cover any new grounds other than the new information presented in any of the individual presentations.

However, the concept of blockchain and cryptocurrency I think was briefly mentioned, which certainly piqued my interest, as recently the topic of cryptocurrencies has kinda taken the world by storm.

I think that in the near future and even currently, cryptocurrencies are playing a large role in shaping what will come next. I think people are slowly starting to move away from dollars and other tangible currencies, and are rather invested in the idea of having something of an asset that can even increase in value over time and allow us to increase our profits without having to do much at all, just kinda let it sit and do its thing. 

It’s debatable what the best course of action to take is for really anyone. Should they purchase cryptocurrency? Should they stick with the former currency? I don't think either way is necessarily better or worse, but it is undeniable that the world is now slightly shifting with the introduction of this new technology and way of making transactions.

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Blog #7

Are cloud providers really better as data centers than real physical data centers?

Data centers that are managed by cloud providers are scalable, accessible, easily maintainable and updatable, and secure when compared to real physically located data centers. Cloud services allow for easy scaling of resources up or down based on demand. This flexibility is beneficial for businesses with fluctuating workloads. Cloud solutions can be accessed from anywhere with an internet connection, making remote work and collaboration easier. Major cloud providers often invest heavily in security measures and compliance certifications, which can be advantageous for businesses that require strict data protection. 

A thing about cloud providers in general is that they have been praised a lot for their cost-effectiveness. They have been much more reasonable for price as they do not have to pay for an actual physical premises, or any employees wages, or the equipment necessary to run a data center. Cloud providers are much more reasonable. However, in recent times this has become less true, as cloud providers now realize just how much they have to offer, and so have significantly marked up the price because they still feel they are the superior choice to an actual physical data center.

This begs the question, now with the factor of price, is a cloud provider still the clear choice? Physical data centers allow greater control, for certain applications they provide higher performance especially when the tasks needed to be done are very strenuous physical hardware may outperform cloud based solutions, and cost predictability is another factor, as you have most of your amenities on premises, you know exactly what goes where, and how much it should cost on a yearly or monthly or even daily basis.

If cloud providers significantly increase their charges, it doesn’t automatically mean that using them is no longer the better choice. A thorough analysis of costs, performance, resource needs, and future requirements is essential. Organizations should weigh the pros and cons of both options and consider flexibility and strategic goals when making a decision. In some cases, moving to a physical data center may be a more cost-effective solution, while in others, staying in the cloud with optimized resource management might still be preferable.

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Blog #6

Lately I’ve been hearing a LOT about AI and how it should be open source, so this week I wanted to talk about the potential of what AI could turn into.

Every company has different needs, so they want to create AI models that fit their specific tasks. Open-source AI lets developers take a big model, train it with their own data, and shrink it to the right size for their needs. This way, they can use it however they want without worrying about someone else seeing their data. Some companies also don’t like being stuck with one AI provider. If the AI provider changes the rules, shuts down, or becomes too expensive, the company is in trouble. Open-source AI gives developers control. They can run the AI themselves without depending on someone else, and they can switch between different tools and systems more easily. Open-source AI can be cheaper to run than closed models (like GPT-4), saving developers money.

Open-source AI gives more people access to AI, not just big companies. This means more people can use AI for things like improving health, doing research, or growing their business. It also helps make sure that power isn’t just in the hands of a few large companies.

Making something like AI open-source is a great way to help as many people as possible use AI safely, create new opportunities, and make sure no one company or country controls all the power. It’s good for businesses, security, and the world’s future.

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Blog #5

This week we learned about Artificial Intelligence, and how it does not only mean machine learning. There are many different types of AI, only one of which is machine learning. Another subset of AI is deep learning. 

Machine learning is like teaching a computer to do something on its own by showing it examples, instead of giving it step-by-step instructions. The computer looks at the examples, learns patterns, and figures out how to do the task by itself.

Deep learning is a special type of machine learning. It's like giving the computer a super-powerful brain that can understand more complex things, like pictures, words, or sounds, without needing us to tell it exactly what to do. It's good at learning from complicated stuff, just like how our brains can.

I think it’s super interesting how both of these new and evolving technologies are being utilized and actually serving to be useful in day-to-day life, rather than more of a gimmick that is actually kind of a hindrance. 

Even in something kind of stupid like minecraft. Recently I was looking at minecraft mods, specifically one called distant horizons where the visible distance that you are able to see in the game is extended. Normally you would only be able to see within a set distance, and as you move forward through the world, what is ahead of you renders in and what is behind you renders out, so you can never really see very far away from yourself. With this mod, you can see as far as you would be able to in real life. As far as your eyes can see. I’m not sure if I’m remembering this correctly, but I’m about 80% sure that this is done through a sort of machine learning. The distant horizons mod renders everything in the game one time, and then using the information that it has, it doesn't actually render everything in all at once, but rather, it creates a lower quality replica or placeholder so that it looks like you can see everything in the distance. The stuff in the distance is significantly less quality than the stuff you can see up close, but the quality doesn't matter for the stuff you can barely see, it’s more important that you can see that far away in the first place. It gives the world more depth and realism.

Even in small ways like this, I’m very excited to see where machine learning and deep learning technology will take us and make possible for us that was hitherto undreamt of.

Pretty cool huh. I think so

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Blog #4

This week I’ve been thinking about how life imitates life, even seen in the topics in this class.

How can you make a useful risk assessment of your business? You must see things from a logical point of view, unbiased, like a scout. To have any real influence or impact on the business’ longevity or success, you must seek the root of issues, rather than seek to simply treat the cause. A risk assessment strategy that is successful must always see things as they are, so that the issues can be resolved properly. Furthermore, the same things that posed risks before might not be the same as they are now, and so constant re-evaluation and checking in are crucial as well.

I think that living a good life, assessing a business, learning to ride a bike, are all different things, and yet the same. If you do not know how to properly ride a bike but are trying to, your goals should not lie in unimportant things unrelated to riding a bike, your focus should be on what you are doing wrong, what you are not doing wrong, what can be changed, and what can stay the same. But for this, you need to be willing to accept that maybe you are not perfect, or maybe something that seemed perfect before is just not cutting it anymore.

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Blog #3

I just saw a video about a new planned virtual entertainment city called Qiddya city. The plan for this is to be pretty much like the movie “Ready Player One”, where everyone can go around and talk to each other with their virtual avatars, without having to be there in person. This city would be like a sort of hub, which players could enter different games and branch off to different areas.

I think this is a quite cool idea, it just got me thinking about the future. I don’t think we’re quite at the point yet where the world would evolve into the kind of world seen in the movie Ready Player One, I mentioned before. I think I would be too against getting invested in something virtual rather than something real, but for my children, or for future generations to come, if this Qiddya city were to really take off, then they would most likely want to be part of it, and so as generations phase in and out of existence, and the old is replaced with the new, it could be that the world in Ready Player One becomes a reality. Future generations will not know a world that does not have a virtual reality city, whereas our generation, the people alive now, will recall a time before, recall what was before what now is.

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Blog #2

This week I saw an advertisement for the new iphone 16 coming out soon. It caught my attention not because I am a fanatic for apple products, but because of the obscure scenario presented in the commercial. Using your iphone to track your schedule and daily activities, so that it can recall back to where you were at a specific time on a specific day, and give you information that you might have forgotten from that day. To me, this seems just totally unnecessary. Cool, but unnecessary. I would rather just forget someone’s name and ask them to remind me, than pull out my iPhone AI and get it to think for me. 

I just think that this concept is catering to the new age of tech, that seems to be aiming to optimize even the smallest of daily occurrences. The purpose of a feature like this is not to revolutionize the world, but to make it easier in day-to-day life I guess. 

Apple is aiming to fill those small remaining business gaps where they can, because at this point they’ve got their formula down to a science. People will still buy the newest iphone even if the only upgrade is a thinner phone and a larger screen size. But Apple is smart because it maintains a consistent growth in their business, however small the advancements are per each incrementation, they are still innovating their phones in slight ways. Apple might even have way more advanced tech that they COULD release with the new iphone, and it would be awesome to see such a big jump, but it would not be a smart move for company profits, because if they give everything they have and put it into one iphone, yea sure that iphone would be dope, but then they would have nothing much more to put into the iphone 17. The 17 would seem probably exactly the same as the last one, and not in the same way that iphones are the same every year now, because there is some slight variation now still. Some improvement. But the jump from the badass iphone 16 to 17 would probably be next to none, unless apple actually really wanted to focus on innovation and shaping the future, their product would most likely remain the same, and customers would catch on then. They dont actually want to buy the exact same thing again, but they do want to have some cool new features no one else has.

This just made me think of the business gaps we were talking about this week in class. How companies can play to their strengths and what opportunities they have. As things are now, apple has no real reason to innovate their tech so drastically, because they’re still hauling in boat loads of money from their minuscule upgrades each and every year, so why bother changing? They’re opportunity now, is to seize the moment, ride the wave of success, and if this ever stops working for them, then I’m sure they would be able to switch it up, perhaps even jump ahead of the competition drastically with a cool new iPhone 17.

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Blog #1

Who Am I?

My name is Aira Therens, and for the last 8 months I’ve been attending SAIT for the Information Technology Services program.

Since I was a young boy, I had a fascination with computers and how the components inside of computers worked. This fascination only grew as time passed. I discovered new outlets to facilitate my interests. I started building my own computers at around the age of 13, which is when I really started to get into the PC building space. I watched lots of videos by Linus Tech Tips and others, played around with my own computer, taking it apart and trying to put it back together again. This is how I learned what I know now about computers, just trial and error, making sure that I remembered where each component is supposed to go, what each component is designed to do, the role each component has in a system. I learned very much from my first cheap little desktop computer.

As time passed, I wanted to expand my horizons, and I’d been watching people on YouTube buy and sell computers for cheap on a website called Kijiji, so I figured I might try to buy some new parts to play with and put together, and maybe even sell them in a complete package once I finished a build. I did this for a while, and I got pretty good at it too. I had a sort of little business going on where I would buy parts individually, and then combine them into a full system which I could sell again for a slight increase in price. This not only taught me even more about building computers through seeing all different kinds of components and configurations and unique situations, but it also gave me some financial profit just as a side effect of my curiosity.

By Christmas time of 2020, I had saved up enough money from doing this, to buy myself a brand-new full system from memory express, with premium components and the newest hardware available. Not only did I buy the system, but I bought it in individual components, so I didn’t just get to have the computer to play around on, but I also had the privilege of handling such expensive components and building it myself.

I believe this is why I decided to enter this program. There are a lot of different paths I could have possibly taken that also involve computers and such, but the Information Technology Services program just seemed like the natural next step for me in my journey.

Over the years I’ve developed some insight into what hardware and software are best for users, because I’ve had to cater to potential buyers’ interests, which are usually people looking not to have any hassle, they just want the working computer. I believe my strengths lie in my computer hardware ability, but I suppose where I am lacking more is on the software side of things. By this I mean software utilized to optimize the performance of the hardware. This is an area which I would like to develop further for myself. Similarly, learning more about networking and how Wi-Fi works is something I would like to learn more about as well, because bad Wi-Fi has always for some reason been a pain point of mine in my life. I have a good computer and everything, but not good enough internet connection to enjoy actually enjoy my time on my good computer.

Emerging technologies play a key role in what I have been interested in with building computers and such, because once a new generation of graphics cards is released for example, it changes the dynamic of the pricing scheme for the older cards, however capable they may still be, because they are older they naturally are lowered in value, which is important to someone like me because now I can use that to my advantage and still make a powerful machine, but for an even cheaper price.

I would define emerging technologies as the new wave of technology which changes the tide of the way things currently are. However, this is not necessarily a bad thing, it just means that for someone like me, it is important to keep an eye on things, know when the tide might shift, and be prepared to adjust myself accordingly. Emerging technologies pave the way forward for more advanced technologies. New developments that come out, can lead to even newer developments, and over time these new ideas compound, and we are left with something nobody could have ever imagined possible, so I do think that emerging technologies are very significant and should not be ridiculed so hastily, because who knows what those seemingly crazy ideas could lead to.