Week 4: Muddy

Audio File Formats

As someone more familiar with image and video file formats, I had difficulty understanding the appropriate use for each file type that was simply listed. Taking matters into my own hands, I researched and discovered the importance of becoming familiar with audio formats in the business world. Especially in my field of study, advertising, being comfortable with audio files is crucial in creating items like radio spots or as an interactive element for a client's Web site. The following formats are the ones discussed in the class lecture, and will be explained further based on my outside research in my attempt to understand audio files.

• WAV (Waveform Audio File Format): As one of the most common, WAV is a standard digital audio file format for storing waveform data. It allows audio recordings to be saved with different sampling rates and bitrates great for maintaining CD quality audio.

-Common on Windows-based systems

-Programs that open .wav files: iTunes, Roxio Toast, Windows Media Player

• AIFF (Audio Interchangeable File Format): With average popularity among file formats, it provides CD-quality audio stored in a non-compressed, lossless format similar to the .wav format.

-Typically used to burn audio CDs

-Programs that open .aiff files: Quicktime Player, Roxio Creator, Windows Media Player, iTunes

• WMA (Windows Media Audio): This very common file type is a proprietary format developed my Microsoft is similar to MP3 and can be converted into other formats.

-Commonly used to play music from the Web

-It's video counterpart, WMV is used to view Windows Media Video files

-Programs that open .wma files: Windows Media Player, Apple Quicktime, Web browsers, Nullsoft Winamp Media Player

• MP3 (MPEG-1 Audio Layer 3): Another very common audio file format, the MP3 uses "layer 3" audio compression, and the quality depends on the bitrate used for compression, the higher the better.

-Used to store music files and audiobooks on hard drives

-Supported by most portable music players like the iPod, Zune and Kindle

-Programs that open .mpeg files: iTunes, VideoLAN/VLC media player, WMP

• AAC (Advanced Audio Coding): This very common audio file is similar to MP3 but offers improvements like higher coding efficiency, an easier filterbank, and better handling of high frequencies.

-Maintains quality nearly indistinguishable from the original audio source

-Used as the default encoding used by Apple iTunes software

-Programs that use .aac file format: iTunes, MPlayer, WMP, KSP Sound Player

• Apple Lossless: a.k.a "ALE", is an audio codec developed by Apple for lossless data comprehension of digital music.

-An audio converter is needed to extract audio from ALE files

-Does not utilize any Digital Rights management scheme.

• FLAC: Free Losless Audio Codec is similar to the MP3 file format, but it is lossless, meaning the audio file is compressed without any loss of quality (very important!).

-Regurded as the fastest and most widely supported lossless audio codec, the only one that is non-proprietary (meaning it's independent and thus benefits by more freedom). [http://flac.sourceforge.net/]

Hopefully this description has helped you to understand the basics of each audio file format, if not:

Visit http://www.fileinfo.com/filetypes/audio for an even more detailed analysis.

And for a similar informational listing of video file formats, click here.

For image files, click here.

Week 3: Clear

$ E-Commerce $

Short for "electronic commerce", e-commerce is a business transaction that occurs over an electronic network such as the Internet. It describes all business transactions that happen over the computer, on the Internet. E-commerce is a rapidly growing, convenient way to shop, trade, buy and sell without having to leave your home or office.

There are 3 different types of e-commerce, depending on who the buyer and seller are:

1. Business-to-Consumer: (B2C) Is the sale of goods and services to the general public.

Example: Wal-mart

2. Consumer-to-Consumer: (C2C) Is when consumers purchase directly from other consumers.

-Online auctions are a very common vehicle for C2C transactions, where a customer bids on an item being sold by another customer.

Example: eBay

3. Business-to-Business: (B2B) The most popular means of e-commerce occurs between two businesses.

-Business often sell their services, like online advertising, recruiting or market research, to other businesses.

Example: HRmarketer

But what would e-commerce be without the ability to take it with you?

$M-Commerce$

M-commerce, or "mobile commerce", is the e-commerce counterpart for use on mobile devices. An article written by Matt Bishop in the E-Commerce Times gives an interesting and educational view on the topic of m-commerce in today's society:

"As the number, power and flexibility of mobile devices has increased, so has their use for shopping. In 2008, a Nielsen survey found that 9 million people in the United States "have used their mobile phone to pay for goods or services," and many more expect to do so soon. In a 2009 survey by Deloitte, 45 percent of respondents said they would use their mobile phone to research prices, and 25 percent said they would use their phone to make purchases."

New technologies are going underway to expand m-commerce among consumers, as mobile purchase ability brings forth immense business retail opportunity. Companies like Amazon and Overstock.com have created free i-Phone applications where users can search, browse, compare, buy, track orders, etc. all on your mobile phone. Now all we need is the technology to teleport the items we buy to eliminate shipping costs.

Amazon.com i-Phone App

Week 2: Clear

Advantages and Disadvantages of Using Computers

For most of us, computers have become an essential tool that we involve in our everyday lives. Whether it be at work, school, home, or pretty much anywhere in the public domain, we experience the pros and cons of computer use in the context of ourselves as individuals. But what about the broader spectrum of the good and the bad as it has effected society as a whole?

Advantages of Using Computers:

1. Speed

• Many computers process billions or trillions of operations in a single second, allowing users to quickly enter, retrieve, edit, save and store information at the click of a button. For example, think about how long it would take for you to calculate 9,453,362 x 8,736,110 in your head or on paper. When using a computer, it only takes as long as it takes you to type the numbers in.

2. Reliability

• Science has come a long way in terms of making these machines dependable and reliable. They rarely break or fail which means a far less chance of error compared to that of human error. This is a crucial benefit of a computer because, for example, a large company in the business world simple can't afford a miscalculation of numbers or sales, or a misplaced file.

3. Consistency

• Given the same input and processes, a modern computer will produce the same, consistent results time after time. The accuracy of a computer's output depends on the accuracy of the input. Computers are very complex. It is important that they remain consistent across the board so that we can learn how to use them and continually use them properly and with the results we want.

4. Storage

• Computers have the ability to transfer data quickly from storage to memory, process it, and then store it again for future use. The huge amounts of data they are capable of immediately storing and retrieving are mind-boggling. Plus, they beat the heck out of file cabinets.

5. Communications

• The most recent development of the computer's advantages allows them to communicate with each other and share any of the four information processing cycle operations (input, process, output and storage) with another computer or user. The limits of this benefit seem endless; instant communication with friends via e-mail, search on the Web, sharing files with clients, and the list goes on.
• The computer's ability to communicate with other computers has brought us to where we are today in this technological world of sharing and interacting with information on the Internet, a concept broadly known as "Web 2.0". Web 2.0 is the new way that we, as users, literally create, interact with collaborate and are, overall, highly involved in Web content.
• This video provides an interesting look at Web 2.0 and the questions it proposes in terms of usage, ownership, and the spread of information. Each one of the advantages of computer use has aided in the birth of Web 2.0.

Disadvantages of Using Computers:

1. Violation of Privacy

• Tons of user information is entered into computers everyday-and not just personal computers. Credit card companies, health care facilities, banks, you name it, can all obtain and save information about you. Identity theft and theft of personal information or records are just some of the pitfalls of recording information electronically. Be careful which Web sites you trust with personal information like your address or forms of payment. Password-protect your computer as a general precaution.

2. Public Safety

• Sharing information on the Internet can be as dangerous as it is fun and helpful. Keep in mind that when you use sites like Facebook, Twitter and Blogger, it's not just your friends that can access your profiles, posts, photos, statuses and videos. The Web is filled with strangers. Check out the FBI's online social-networking tips to make sure you protect yourself and your business from harmful situations.

3. Impact on Labor Force

• While improving productivity in more ways than imaginable, creating lots of jobs and entirely new industries, the skills of millions of employees have been replaced by computers. Outsourcing has been made possible by computers, thus creating a more efficient work environment for the business world, but leaving tons of Americans jobless. Education is important in this ever-evolving, scientific world we live in, and above all, if you have a great educational foundation, you'll be more likely to produce work that cannot be replaced with a machine.

4. Health Risks

• People are spending more and more time on their computers now more than ever. We can even take our computers with us, leaving users with virtually every opportunity to use them. Physical injuries can occur from overuse of the computer, and mental disorders, like computer addiction, can occur.

5. Impact on Environment

• "Going Green" is an ongoing trend amongst American society today. Computer manufacturing processes and computer waste are depleting natural resources and polluting the environment. They release toxic materials when put into landfills and contain high levels of harmful chemicals. Companies are rapidly encouraging recycling of computers and computer parts, and some are even offering to dispose of your old computer (properly) when you buy a new one from them.

Here are two graphs that represent some other types of advantages and disadvantages users worry about found on the Clearinghouse on Early Education and Parenting site:

Advantages:

Disadvantages:

The advantages and disadvantages of computer use are extremely important and have shaped the way we use and interact with computers in the business world. To be a productive computer-user, you must know the limits of your machine and be aware of what it can and cannot provide. Armed with this knowledge, users can go on to use computers efficiently, safely and properly in business and in personal life.

Week 1: Clear

Information Search

The World Wide Web is the largest, and in my opinion, most culturally relevant source of information that there is. Because of its ongoing mass-accumulation of content, it's important that we, as users, have some understanding of how it is organized and the appropriate ways to operate within it.

Two main tools that help us navigate the web are:

1. Search Engines: Web sites or software that search the Internet for documents that contain a key word, phrase or subject that is specified by the user to the search engine. Each engine has its own method of searching for information. (dictionary.com)

Examples: Google, Yahoo, Ask

2. Subject Directories: Smaller, more selective, searching Web sites than search engines.

Examples: About, Yahoo

The defining difference between the two navigational tools are that search engines use "bots" to collect information and links to build their databases while subject directories use humans to sort out and find information, thus making them much smaller but also useful.

Expand your knowledge: Learn how to efficiently search for what you're looking for on Google using the cheat sheet. It's useful to use more than one search engine when you're looking for something specific, since they usually provide unique results. As you can see in the chart below, Google holds the majority of search engine market share (most used) for 2009 with Yahoo coming in a not-so-close second.

(chart by: http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3283/3309147191_8505368d21.jpg)

It's critical to be as efficient as possible when searching for something on the Web since it is so vast. Without search engines the World Wide Web would be a mass of confusion of links that would soon be undoubtedly rendered useless.

Netiquette

Acting appropriately while online, otherwise known as "netiquette", is the golden rule of the Internet. It can be assumed that my generation already knows most of the basic rules of netiquette (writing in all caps=shouting, read before you send, etc.), but as we are approaching graduation, hence the "job search", this site on business netiquette will prove to be very helpful. Upon entering the corporate world, you are expected to act professionally and conduct yourself in an acceptable manner-including while online.