Individual Blog Assignment #3

Computer crime.

Wikipedia defines computer crime as: “criminal activity where a computer or network is the source, tool, target, or place of a crime. These categories are not exclusive and many activities can be characterized as falling in one or more category. Computer crime can broadly be defined as criminal activity involving an information technology infrastructure, including illegal access, interception, data interference, systems interference (interfering with the functioning of a computer system by inputting, transmitting, damaging, deleting, deteriorating, altering or suppressing computer data), misuse of devices, forgery (ID theft), and electronic fraud.”
One example where computers are targets of computer crime is a virtual information time bomb. It is computer code programmed to realize a specific task at a predetermined time. It can be used to destroy all the information in a computer or a whole network. In 1996, Tim Lloyd, an ex-employee, left a virtually activated information bomb in his company’s codes, which finally detonated July 31 of that same year destroying the company's manufacturing programs and network. Another example is the so called denial-of-service attack. It is an attempt to make a computer resource unavailable to its intended users. It generally consists of a person or persons trying to prevent an Internet site or service from functioning temporarily or indefinitely. The most common method of attack involves saturating the victim with external communications requests, such that it cannot respond or will do it very slowly. Most mayor Internet names were victims, including Yahoo and Microsoft.
An example of a computer being used as instruments of crime is phishing. Phishing is an attempt to illegally acquire sensitive information, such as user names, passwords and credit card or banking information by masquerading as a trustworthy entity in an electronic communication. EBay and Paypal and banks are common targets. It is typically carried out by email or instant messaging and often directs users to enter details at a website.
Another example of a computer being used as instruments of crime is the illegal access to a computer resource. It is also called hacking. One of the most famous hackers is Jonathan Jones. He became the first juvenile to be sent to prison for hacking. He installed a backdoor into a Defense Threat Reduction Agency server. It enabled him to view sensitive emails and capture employee user names and passwords. He also cracked into NASA computers, stealing software worth approximately $1.7 million.

For a video on the latest Internet security treats click on the link. http://video.yahoo.com/video/play?vid=1350179&fr=yfp-t-501

Weekly Blog #9

Before this week when I heard of electronic auctions or electronic market I immediately thought of EBay. I would never have thought that it was also related to supply chain management. This week in class we learned about supply chain management with its different strategies: pull and push strategies. Another thing we also learned this week was electronic actions or electronic markets and how they can be used for supply management streamlining. One of those markets is COVISINT, an electronic auction platform that started connecting the big three auto manufacturers (GM, Ford and Daimler-Chrysler) and their suppliers. Before COVISINT all their suppliers used different IS systems and in many cases they weren’t compatible. It created inefficiencies and communication issues. COVISINT was created by the big 3 to create a market their suppliers could access and compete against each other thus lowering prices. The following recent article: COVISINT explains how right now Covisint has more than 250,000 subscribers at 30,000 companies in 86 countries. It now not only works with the auto industry but also in manufacturing, healthcare, aerospace, public sector and financial services.

Weekly Blog #8

Before this week when I heard of electronic auctions or electronic market I immediately thought of EBay. I would never have thought that it was also related to supply chain management. This week in class we learned about supply chain management with its different strategies: pull and push strategies. Another thing we also learned this week was electronic actions or electronic markets and how they can be used for supply management streamlining. One of those markets is COVISINT, an electronic auction platform that started connecting the big three auto manufacturers (GM, Ford and Daimler-Chrysler) and their suppliers. Before COVISINT all their suppliers used different IS systems and in many cases they weren’t compatible. It created inefficiencies and communication issues. COVISINT was created by the big 3 to create a market their suppliers could access and compete against each other thus lowering prices. The following recent article: COVISINT explains how right now Covisint has more than 250,000 subscribers at 30,000 companies in 86 countries. It now not only works with the auto industry but also in manufacturing, healthcare, aerospace, public sector and financial services.

Weekly Blog #7

This week in class we learned about 2 very interesting topics: virtual reality and artificial intelligence. There are many devices that used virtual reality, like the helmet to project 3D visuals and the globe to interact with that reality. Another great virtual reality item that is already on the market is the Wii which with the help of the remote sensor, allows you to bowl or play tennis in your own living room. We also learned about second life. It is a website that is really a virtual world. You can buy virtual real state, buy or create you own house, interact with other people and even work and earn real money. Many businesses have properties in second life. Dell even allows you to configure and buy a computer in their virtual island.

The following article: Scientist Use Brain Waves to Stroll Through Virtual World explains how Japanese scientists found a way to let people wander in second life using brain waves. This is a great breakthrough that could change the lives of heavily paralyzed people. As one of the scientists said: "(it) would enable people suffering paralysis to communicate with others or do business through chatting and shopping in a virtual world" Under the technology, a person wearing head gear embedded with electrodes, which analyze brain waves, would be able to control a avatar just by thinking.

Weekly blog #6

This week in class we learned about online advertising. One thing I found really interesting was the fact that even though internet advertising is increasing at a great pace, mobile advertising is increasing even faster and is going to surpass it in the near future. I never realized that people could get advertising on their cell phones. I new that there are more cell phones that computers with internet connections and the potential market is much bigger. I learned of the 3 main ways to advertise in mobile phones: video playing, mobile internet and the most innovative free cell phone and or services if you are willing to receive text message or other kind of advertising from sponsors every day. Another point we learned was about how Google AdWords and Yahoo Smart Ads works. They work very similar but the payment structure is different. Google used a bidding process, for ad payment and yahoo do not. Also their search algorithms are different.
The following article: Onetime Google Nemesis Ramps Click-Fraud Crusade talks about click fraud on the Google-run network of third party website called AdSense. In this system Google and the third party website gets paid if the ads get clicked. Some website had rigged the system and boosting the fees by clicking on the ads themselves. How can Google prevent this? Is there a system in place to avoid this???? Click on the link to watch a video on how AdSense works: http://video.yahoo.com/video/play?vid=1115267968&fr=yfp-t-501

Individual blog assingment #2

There are several companies dedicated to develop digital devices that can produce smells or transfer them over the internet (IPSmell(TM))
Aromajet.com is one of the main players. They have developed an interactive program that allows the creation of smells by mixing up to 16 different base smells. Smell can be created anywhere and be transfer as code over the web to an Aromajet kiosk that can make the fragrance you created. The company is now creating a system with 32 components for a greater variety. Before this technology, perfume design was only for the rich and famous, now anyone can design it own personalized fragrance and Aromajet can synthesize it and ship it directly to consumers. Another product by this company is called “Pinoke” and it will change videogame experience. Its micro-jetting technology and software will allow create and release fragrances at precisely the right time coinciding with the on-screen events. Of course they are all prototypes, but we can expect it in the near future. They could be brought to market for between $40 and $80.

DigiScents is also developing the iSmell Personal Scent Synthesizer. This prototype is shaped like a shark’s fin, and it will be connected to your computer’s USB port. It contains 128 primary odors and it can create many natural or man made odors. The iSmell would be used on everyday computing. You can send somebody an email with a particular sent, to watch movies (with appropriate smells for different scenes) and of course for gaming. Of course movies and games have to have the smell code embedded so the iSmell can create at release the smells at the appropriate time.

SENX Scent Device is taking this technology even further by in addition to creating smells as the other devices it can also create flavors that can be tasted by licking the paper coated with the smell. SENX will also allow you to create your own fragrances right at home.
Recently there have been rumors that Sony is working with a device that could transmit sensory data directly to the human brain by firing ultrasound pulses at a person’s head and target specific parts of the brain creating sensory experiences like smells and tastes. If this technology is finally developed it will be revolutionary.
Most of these systems are very similar. They can all be used for several digital purposes. Playing video games, watching movies (it would be great is they could incorporate one in movie theaters and an huge revenue center) However, In m opinion the SENX is the one that has a greater revenue potential because in addition to all those uses it can also create fragrances you can wear. Since consumers will have to buy the individual smell cartridges, the same as printer ink, if you can get the user o use more the more revenue the company will make.

Weekly blog #5

This week we learned in class about data warehousing and the uses it has in business. By data mining, a manager can discover all kind of data patterns. It can find associations, sequences, classification and or classification. All of it can be very useful for forecasting or planning. This can even be done online through the OLAP. Another thin we learned was about customer relationship software also called CRM. Similar to data mining, CRM can be used to find patterns and associations in customer data and help on the marketing and selling efforts. It can also help customer service by better suiting their needs and helping with questions, problems and technical support.


The following article: Rx data mining: Improving health care or invading privacy? Talks about how data mining and privacy. One of the examples it gives is how it is used by pharmaceutical companies to gather prescription data to target doctors who are not prescribing their drugs and try to influence them. This issue raises privacy issues and how much data should be traced and kept and for what purposes. Doctors are fitting back claiming that pharmaceutical companies what to tell them what to prescribe even if it is not in the best interest of the patients. Are all used of data mining legal, even ethical?