Innovation deals with the application of new methods, technologies, and equipment. The result of innovation is often an invention. Time decided the 50 best inventions of 2009. The invention the topped the list was Nasa’s Ares Rocket. It makes us able to travel farther than ever thought possible in space becasue of its light design. The third best thing invented was by Philips, it is a lightbulb that could save enoug power in the United States to power an additional 15 million homes. It used ten watts instead of the usually sixty, and last five time longer as well. It could alos help reduce power usage fees for offices and businesses.  The AIDS vaccine also is close to the top of the list at eightth. It is not completely successful, but thiry one percent more successful than any methods used before.  Another item high on the list in a knee for people missing limbs, or that are needing a replacement. This knee  is only twenty dollars, instead of old titanium ones that could run for around ten thousand dollars. It is lower quality for the money, but for low income users it is stable and strong enough for most people. Hopefully this will eliminate the amount of people with walkers, canes and wheelchairs and get people back on their feet. Another interesting device was a smart bullet. it is capable of being programmed so that it can explode without having to hit anything. Bullets currently do not do anything unless they hit their traget dead on.

(11-22-09).”The Fifty Best Inventions of 2009.” Time Magazine. Retrieved from: http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/completelist/0,29569,1934027,00.html

Hooking up your TV to the Internet is a complicated process. Hulu is a website where television can be watched from the Internet. What if people want to connect their computer to their televsion in order to have a bigger screen. Hulu is a good source for this, but it is not convinient at all. Once your laptop is connected, all control is still through your laptop, except things like volume, or basic TV settings. The laptop must also remain close to the TV, which is another inconvinience. There are a few softwares out there that can help to watch things off the Internet on your television. Boxee is a service, that is easy to connect, but has the same convinience problems that Hulu encounters. Apple has had no success trying to make the Internet work for Apple TV. Sony provides a service that enables users to use the Internet on the TV, and also purchase movies that can be watched. The problem with Sony’s product is the expense at wehich it is delivered. Sony keeps prices high to keep their partner Wal Mart selling their DVDs. This is a new technology that not many people desire at the moment. It is a trend that will soon set in on our ever changing market. Soon people will realize the convinience of such a product. People have continued getting lazy, so this software will help them be lazier. The Internet will soon be able to be accessed and fully operated from your comfortable couch.

Lashinsky, Adam. (11-11-09). Internet TV: When, dammit? Cnn.com/blogs. Retrieved from: http://brainstormtech.blogs.fortune.cnn.com/2009/11/11/internet-tv-when-dammit/.

Two of the bigger social networking sites will be teaming up together soon. Twitter, and Linkedln will join forces soon. The two sites will let data and information be transfered and shared between the sites. Twitter is popular among younger people, and allows users to tell people what they are doing but only in one hundred and forty characters. Linkedln is a popular networking sites for professionals. It allows users to do things like post resumes and other business operations.The problem between the two sites is that one in for social purposes, while the other is for professional purposes. Is it a good idea for a future employer to see that you are out partying with friends? This leaves us with the main problem of all social networking sites. All of them allow people to post practically anything, but you are not required to use the service at all. So people put themselves in harms way by themselves. It is easy to control what is put up on the Internet as long as you are careful. There are also certain benefits that could come from it too, since it gives people another way to connect and network.

Rooney, Ben. (11-10-09). Twitter and LinkedIn Hook up. Cnn.com. Retrieved from: http://money.cnn.com/2009/11/10/technology/twitter_linkedin/index.htm

This chapter discusses business intelligence which is the technology used in order to gather information and make decisions based on that information. It also discusses analytical customer relationship management. Analytical cutomer management figures out important information like what the customers want more of, show customers they matter to your business, and how to beat competitors. The information gathered can then be broken down to do a number of things that will help the business in one way or another.  Microsoft is starting a remodelling of their popular MSN website.  They are hoping to make the page much less complex, since now within the top two inches of the page there are already forty five links. Videos will be able to be played from the homepage, as well as a much faster loading page. Microsoft feels it is time that they also allow people to update Facebook and other socail networking sites from their own.  Many of the changes are due to a noticeable change in Yahoo, and having to compete with the new search engine Bing.com. The change will hopefully make things easier for the one hundred million visitors the sites recieves each month.  The new designed web page will be available to a small chunk of the population this month. Unfortunately the web page will not be available to all of the United States until sometime next year. MSN is even making a mobile version of their webpage as another things they see customers will value. Just one more step to making the entire workforce completely mobile.   

Helft, Miguel. (11-4-09). Microsoft Simplifies a Cluttered MSN. NYTimes.com Retrieved at: http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/11/04/microsoft-simplifies-a-cluttered-msn/?ref=technology.

Flexibility and delivery of a product are very important in a competitive operations management strategy. The App Store that Apple Inc. offers has done outstanding at offering both. Apple has made their products easily available by allowing access to get applications anywhere with an Internet connection. They also have an application for almost anything you can imagine. This gives customers the choice to choose what they really want. Some applications may need to be paid for but that can also be paid online as well. Apple takes only thirty percent off of what the revenue from the applications end up being. The developer gets to keep to rest, so it has been a good way for people to make money, and a good way for people to have access to many useful tools. Since Apple has done so well with the store, it has led to other companies trying to mimic what they have come up with. Many different phone companies have started their own application type stores where people can download tools on to their phones. Applications may cost more depending on their quality, but they are never more than a few dollars. People also want their products cheap which make Apple Inc. a much stronger competitor in a market that they already dominate.

Mollman, Steve. (10/8/09). From cars to TVs, apps are Spreading to the Real World. CNN.com. Retrieved from: http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/10/08/apps.realworld/index.html

AT&T is now going to be allowing VoIP applications on the iPhone. VoIP is the technology that is used in order to allow calls to stream over the Internet, so that regular phone service is not needed. VoIP is usually much cheaper than other phone plans since there is no extra charge for long distance. A call cost the same amount to connect no matter how close people are to each other. Apple first rejected Google’s software for the iPhone to do the same thing. New voice over internet protocol technologies that should use the 3G service will be made available soon. Common companies that run VoIP are companies like Skype. VoIP will allow people to make calls without having to use the minutes from their phone plan. Since the are not free though, it will be likely that charges for the new technology will still be the same they currently are, or run a bit more because of the advantage of mobile technology. Currently VoIP calls in the Unites States makes up about ten percent of all calls, with these new technologies the percentage should increase by quite a bit more.

Finley-Price, Wes. (October 7, 2009). AT&T Approves VoIP for iPhone. CNN.com. Retrieved from: http://scitech.blogs.cnn.com/

One of the current problems with Wikipedia is that not all information is correct. One of the first issues involving Wikipedia’s incorrect information had to do with the Kennedy assassination. Because of mistakes like this, the Website now makes people register before they can edit or post any information. This still has not been enough though. Currently Wikipedia’s policy protects information about very important people, like Obama, or former President Bush, but they do not control what people post about others, even U.S. senators. Wikipedia discussed their plan to change the policy but later changed their minds on what to do. At first, all biographical information would be required to be viewed and approved by an editor before being posted for the public to view. The policy, called flagged protection was supposed to make Wikipedia’s entries more accurate. Only a small percentage of articles will be evaluated, and that will be decided on a case by case basis. Current protection for the people like Barrack Obama will still exist but the new editing policy will co-exist with it. Wikipedia is taking these measures in order to hopefully save their reputation. Since they let almost anyone edit what the site says, much of the information can be incorrect, and that could lead to Wikipedia eventually failing as an online database of information. The fact that they allow information to be posted without it being examined by an editor before is what they need to fix. If the reputation of Wikipedia is to be saved, then I think that they will have to start examining all posts to their sites before they are made public, so information can be reliable and accurate.

Manjoo, Farhad. (9-30-09). Jimmy Wales Quietly Edits Wikipedia’s New Edit Policy. CNN.com. Retrieved from:http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1926826,00.html?cnn=yes.

Google Inc. is having trouble with the email service again. Gmail is used by millions of people around the world, and on Thursday, September 24th, many people issued complaints. The site did not actually fully crash, however for about an hour the email service was slowed down greatly. The problem started with people trying to use Google Contacts, which started the declining speed. With as many businesses that use Gmail, and other Google services it is important for the site to be running properly, and up to speed. In the last few months Google Inc. has had sites crash multiple times. People complained because this slows down how fast they can get their work down, by slowing down email traffic, online chat rooms, and access to online archives. Gmail is very important now that people are changing the way they use computers. People are now saving documents online, instead of on one computer, making documents much easier to retrieve, unless sites are too slow or crashing. The problem is that people expect a reliable site, especially from a company as big as Google Inc. The performance of Google has not been the greatest lately, and that is making customers angry. With all the traffic Google sees it does not surprise me that they are having problems. However, they either need to limit traffic on their sites, or figure out another way to make things reliable, and running properly again.

(9/24/09). Gmail Service Has Trouble–Again. CNN.com. Retrieved from: http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/09/24/gmail.crash/index.html

A copy of the movie District 9 was leaked onto the Internet over the Labor Day weekend. The video was downloaded over one million times within the first twenty four hours of it being available online. The problem arose for Xmen Origins: Wolverine when it was released last May as well. Xmen was downloaded about five million times, and District 9 is expected to have even more downloaded. What makes the copy so valuable is that it is an R5 copy, which is DVD quality that is sold in parts of the world were piracy is apparent. However, the special effects are not completed on this type of copy. With the use of the Internet, it is no wonder that the movie was able to be spread so quickly. Even with the video being leaked, it has still made well over three times what it cost to make just in North America.
Information security is the protection of information from accidental or intentional misuse. People were the main problem in the video leak, but without the capabilities of the Internet, it could not have been shared. If more R5 copies of other movies are to be released, then movie companies should expect them to be spread over the Internet. Or maybe a better security solution needs to be used, like something that wouldn’t allow the file to be saved unless a username, or password is entered. At least that would enable people to still watch these DVD quality copies.

Finley-Price, Wes. (9-9-09). Pirated Copy of District 9 Posted Online. CNN.com. Retrieved from: http://scitech.blogs.cnn.com/2009/09/09/pirated-copy-of-district-9-posted-online/.

The future of libraries is changing. People these days want everything onlone, and easily accessible. Now even libraries are starting up on the Internet. Google Inc is hoping to open a site to start the biggest online library currently around. Publishers, book writers, and librarians are trying to fight Google starting this site. One reason for the new library is to make it possible for people to discuss book among other online readers. They are even hoping to have interactive books online for kids, or even adult learning activities. Libraries want to follow modern day trends like Twitter and facebook, where people can discuss anything about their days. It is thought that books, articles, and newspapers will be able to be better understood because people will be able to converse with eachother over confusing points, boring points, or any part of the book for that matter. The loss of libraries will also mean the modern day librarian job is changing. The librarian’s now will have to be very competent in computer skills, almost like a blogging professional. Libraries have already seen massive cutbacks in hours and employees. With the start of new digital online libraries who knows what it will happen to current libraries, and the book sthat fill them.

Sutter, John. (Sept 4, 2009). The Future of Libraries, With or Without Books. CNN Technology. Retrieved from: http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/09/04/future.library.technology/index.html

Google implemented new ways to search the web for whatever you want. The developed a way that you can search the web in the Hawaiian language, along with about one hundred and twenty five other languages. Even a few fun languages have been created. There is a language for pirates, and Klingons. Even for little kids there is an Elmer Fudd language that can be used.

Google is using business process management to improve there services provided to customers. This will make the search engine much more usable for many people now that new languages have been added. They also improved the way e-Business can be done through Google, which once again improves customer service. Google is already the leading search engine on the planet, and now with the new languages. Google feels that by doing this they have also helped the Hawaiian culture to be recognized again.

The new software update is being made available for Apple computers. The new software in called Mac OS X Snow Leopard. The new operating system does not offer many new features except for being more efficient and faster. even with the new upgrade certain things will not work perfectly. Adobe has software that has not been tested with the new operating system, which could lead to problems with compatibilty with the software. The new operating system gave Quicktime Media Player a makeover, but it also has an improved video and audio recording system. The new operating system will not work with all forms of Mac hardware, for example, a PowerPC chip cannot run the new Snow Leopard operating system. The upgrade to Snow Leopard is very affordable at only thirty dollars to upgrade your old system, and with the new hardware space it promises, there is no reason not to by it. The new operating system from Mac will allow for businesses to access and use the information needed to run their businesses in a efficeint and easier manner.

Chen, Brian.(2009)Six Things you Need To KNow About Mac OS X Snow Leopard. Retrieved August 26, 2009, from Wired Magazine. Web site:http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2009/08/6-things-snowleopard/.