Kennan T Duffy

This looks so cool! It will be interesting to see how VR really transform so many different industries and in many different ways. I think the applications in healthcare are most exciting to me, as it would be using technology to truly help improve peoples lives.

VR is an industry that has piqued my interest for some time. I currently have access to the PlayStation VR and the technology simply amazes me. I find as the technology is becoming more fleshed out, it is becoming more accessible to the masses and less of a gimmick. I am very excited to see where VR takes us- not just in the gaming sense, but in practical situations too. Companies can use VR technology to show off products to customers in any location. There are also many benefits that other professions such as doctors and engineers can use to implement the technology.

I agree with you completely about blu-ray players being out of contention as people are more likely to just use streaming services. I find it more convenient to use my gaming console as a multi-function tool than having to go out my way and purchase a blu-ray player just to watch something. I can understand why Samsung and other major competitors in the markets are removing themselves from the market and it will most likely continue to happen to other companies in the blu-ray market too.

I think Blu-ray is facing the same technological cycle as the music industry faced. The music industry started with physical analog copies of recordings on vinyl and slowly shifted to smaller compact physical forms until it became dominated by digital recordings. The music industry still has niche markets that enjoy having physical copies of their music. I think the same will hold true for Blu-ray and smaller niche markets will remain loyal to the format. I think its also why Netflix still offers their disc mailing program and hasn’t scrapped the program that built it into the steaming power house it is today. Just like their is still a small turntable market today, I think the Blu-ray player will still stick around for years to come albeit produced in far less quantities.

This article showcases how digital technology can be used against society, especially in a country with such government restrictions. This reminded me of a Black Mirror episode where people would rate other individuals from no starts to 5 stars, and depending on how much you accumulated the more access you received. The system that would be used must have access to different forms of technologies, ranging from facial recognition to users entering data themselves. A serious breach of security can be possible if individuals are desperate enough to “increase” their rating to gain more access. Also, this idea of the government determining good and bad doesn’t necessarily define the individual itself and their capabilities. It’s something to keep in mind when looking at the larger picture of things.