How to choose a computer

The first key thing to consider when buying a computer is whether you will need a PC or a Laptop. As a college student, in my opinion a Laptop is preferable. There is not much variation in cost between the two however portability is a key issue. Although some people do prefer using a desktop (generally for reasons like larger screens, using a mouse instead of a touchpad, etc.) I will be recommending that anyone coming to do DL141 Applied Psychology buys a laptop.

Processor Speed

 

There are currently many different processors available on the market. The most popular being any of the Intel I series. The main factors to consider when looking at processors is what is the power which is measured in GHz. As one of our classes is multimedia you will need quite a fast processor usually a quad core or at least a dual core (Meaning two CPU's working in unison). Most laptops will usually come with a dual core or quad core as standard. For this course you will need a large processor as the laptop will need to run adobe applications like photoshop and illustrator which are large programs.

 

 

Memory

 

Throughout this course you will be using many applications and you can only imagine the amount of pictures, articles, videos ebooks etc. These will all need to be run and saved occasionally. Especially in the case of video and photoshop you will need a lot of RAM(Random Access Memory) essentially the short term memory of the computer. Anything over 2GB should be enough. The hard drive will not make as much difference as you think as we can always use External hard drives or memory sticks to save data. Not to say that it's not important but how would you even fill up a terabyte ?

 

 

Graphics

 

Graphics always important for the multimedia side of the course. The big thing here is to make sure you have a 64bit HD graphics card coming with the laptop. This will allow for a better output both on screen and if you need to do a presentation. With the progression of smart phones etc HD video is becoming more and more common and so as to avoid buying a new laptop or Graphics card i would suggest you get a good one straight away. AMD is usually quite a reliable company for these products, not to say they're the only option.

Size and weight

As you will need to bring your laptop into college with you from time to time because lets face it the computer labs are rarely free. Because of this weight needs to be considered. The size while not as important as weight still should play a part in your consideration. The first reason being, will it fit in your bag? Secondly when doing assignments can you see the screen. If you need to see things in detail( e.g.Photoshop or Visual illusions) a small screen is really not ideal.

 

 

Reccomendation

 

The Laptop I would recommend is the HP Pavilion G6 with and AMD quad core Processor. This comes with an AMD HD graphics card as standard. It has a 15.6 inch screen which fits in almost any bag and is just the right size for the applications you will need to run. View this link for specs http://shop.amd.com/uk/Home/Detail/Notebook/QJ334EA!23ABU

Usually this laptop comes with a 750 GB hard drive or a terabyte depending on where you buy it. But overall seems to meet all the requirements for the course and more and is very good value when compared with a simmilar Sony or Dell Laptop





Google Glasses Exist (Will they or wont they?)

http://www.techradar.com/news/video/project-glass-what-you-need-to-know-1078114
Google Glasses are now being considered the future of technology. However some critics have placed a big question mark over them. Could they be just another vapourware? The question at hand being do we or will we have the technology available to make such a device. According to the above Article. Google Glasses could be commercially available by 2014. These futuristic glasses look and seem very far ahead of what we would expect to see in just two years time. However Google is claiming that these will be available to developers in an explorer edition in 2013. Google is suggesting that they will be using Either a Transparent LCD or Amoled display that will be literally right in front of your eyes. As mentioned in the Article on Techradar the Glasses will run a version of the Android OS and will be entirely cloud based on the 3G/4G networks.This Article suggests that this hardware will not fall into the category of vapourware and I also would certainly hope Google deliver their promises.

http://www.fastcodesign.com/1669455/4-problems-google-glasses-have-to-solve-before-becoming-a-hit

Technology will always have its doubters and its naysayers. This Second site shows us the Possible Flaws in what Google is attempting to do. A very valid question is being raised in this article and that is, is there an actual need for this technology. Everything that Google are showing us in their videos is available on our Smartphones or tablet computers and this begs the question do we need this popping up right in our faces all the time? Another big problem with this will be the battery life. The lithium Ion batteries most Smartphones currently use would be far too big for a device you are going to wear as eye-wear. While this article makes some very valid points, it has to be noted that technology in terms of size and battery life is progressing very quickly and these things might  well be available and useful in the future. The one way in which they have covered themselves in this article is by comparing the glasses to early views on the iPad or Tablets. People first asked what does it do that a Smartphone or laptop doesn't and while the answers were limited. The world sales figures for these devices speak for themselves.

Comparison

Overall I am leaning more towards Techradars Positive views on this article as I believe there could be many uses for the Glasses. The difference in my opinion that these will offer is an effortless interaction with the on-line World. There will be kinks here and there that will have to be worked out but if things like how notifications and messages are displayed it seems this could be a technology which will play an integral part in our future. While this technology seems like it is a million miles away or like something that was dreamed up in a Syfy film in the 90's the rate at which technology is progressing, I believe we will see these on the shelves as soon (or a little after) Google have said. Here's hoping that we this will not go down amongst the many vapourware products that failed to make it out of their relevant production lines and looking forward to owning my own set of these Glasses in the near future. Another big question that  was not tackled in either of these articles is how will it affect the newly developed problem of internet addiction. At least with the like of Smartphones and tablets they are generally tucked away in our pockets/bags. The real question is if it's right in front of our eyes all the time how can we escape. Hopefully i can find another article relating to this as it would be a really interesting study for Psychology students, especially those with an interest in Cyberpsychology.

Resources for an Applied Psychology student

There are a lot of useful websites available to us on the web as Psychology students. In relation to Technology and  all the other aspects of our course. Here are a few links that I have found to be particularly useful so far. Wether it was for choosing a piece of technology to use or just in relation to what Psychology is all about and where its headed. Hope they help you as much as they have helped me.

General Psych info
http://www.psychology.ie/

Technology
http://www.ted.com/

Technology
http://www.technologyreview.com/

Pathways in Psychology
http://psychology.about.com/od/careersinpsychology/Careers_in_Psychology.htm

Smartphones site (gives full spec info)
http://www.gsmarena.com/

The future is nearer than we think

The image below is a technology that i think we can all get excited about.

Google Glasses. Could this be the future of technology,

People currently talk about how we have such a range of incredible technology available regardless of location. With Technology such as smartphones and Tablet computing we can litterally access the internet from almost any location at any given time. This relatively new invention (while still in the prototype stage will mean that we wont even have to reach into our pockets.

The whole technological world could eventually be right infront of our eyes at all times.

Will this prove to be a positive or negative change for man? Who really knows but only time will tell.

 

 

Feel inside

Check out this video below it was created by Flight of the Conchords and has been set up as a charity video for sick children, I'm aware the content is somewhat satirical however it's an easy watch and most of you I hope wil enjoy it.

 

 

 

Introduction

Welcome one and all,
My name is Robert Clarkin and as part of my ICT course I have been required to write a blog post, so here it is.
I am currently a first year student in IADT Dun Laoighre. I am 20 years old and would say that my main interests include: Sport, Music, Fitness, Travel and Technology,
I have chosen Psychology with a view to later doing Sports/Clinical Psychology (probably in an area such as criminology).
Well thats a little bit about me and I hope my future posts will be of interest