Meeting with tutor 1

Post no.5

This tutorial session was rather enlightening. I was pretty excited with the new ideas and perspectives that Daniel and I discussed.

First things first, things to improve on my really drafted essay:

- There's a typo on the theories I put in the essay, it's not John Bilton. It's George Herbert Mead.
- I need to research on the legitimacy of their statements and backgrounds.
- The quality of my reff need to be improved. My references should have more edu. and books. I should remove the blog links.
- The relevance of my essay to my final year project only needs to be mentioned in the proposal, not the essay itself.
- There should be in-text citations in the proposal as well.
- Input task words. There's a sentence which is too definitive. "The wearable media is categorized under Infotainment where its purpose lies with mass communication." The way the sentence sounds, it appears that wearable media is correlated with infotainment. Use words like 'Explore' or 'Evaluate'. 
- Focus on synchronicity (in scope) cause its too wide. Its okay to mention diachronic briefly in the essay.
- This will be an exploration/evaluation essay.

Now that's done, on to the more contextual part of the tutorial.

- Explore the Cyborg culture, the Transhumanism, which is the belief or theory that the human race can evolve beyond its current physical and mental limitations, especially by means of science and technology.
- Explore private and public uses of wearable tech.
- "Ubi computing reverses virtual reality."
- ICT has transformed from IT. Information and communications Technology.

I will borrow those books and look into it further. Very intellectually stimulating.

Draft for Proposal

Okay so I have begun to write my first draft of my proposal. Here it is!

PROPOSAL DRAFT

TYPE : ESSAY

TITLE: The synchronous existence of wearable media and its future in technology.

Research Question:  What is wearable technology's socio technical relevance and its purpose for the future?

Intro:

 - Purpose of the proposal, assessment to the feasibility of future conducted research and execution of the essay. Planning of the essay.

Scope of inquiry

This essay would address Wearable media in its synchronic and diachronic processes. It would begin with the diachronic process of wearable media in its evolution throughout history from the first wearable tech to the present and future of the wearable technology. It aims to distinguish the differences and common misconceptions of Wearable Computers, Wearable Technology and Wearable Media. The essay would also break down Wearable Media into debatable topics with theories, common arguments and ideas. I would then begin to answer my research question on how relevant wearable media would be to the social technical system. After introducing and re-evaluating Wearable Technology  and its purpose of existence in the timeline of technological evolution, I would then briefly state how this paper would relate and help with my research on my final year project. Finally, the essay would discuss predictions on the future of wearable technology and it's common worries it brings.

Relevance to FYP

I will be executing a project that uses Wearable Media for entertainment purposes. It will be used to study feedback and relationships between the crowd and the performer. The wearable media is categorized under Infotainment where its purpose lies with mass communication. It merges gestures and wearable tech where users are to respond to the music of the DJ by performing gestures like fist pumping or clapping. The higher the participation, the more rewarding their experience will be in terms of music, visuals, stage lighting and effects. I will be studying its practicality and how it would be convenient for them to use them during raves/concerts.

Feasibility

- "Symbolic Interactionism" by George Herbert Mead, "Extensions of Man" by Marshal McLuhan, "Socio Technical Systems Theory" by John Bilton.

- Content will be confirmed and referred from detailed market researches, open-source content, university research papers, opinions from highly influential related field experts and on site interviews with people who had experience with media crowd participation or wearable media.

Timeline

July 14th and July 21st will be the dates where the proposal drafts are submitted and reviewed by the tutor. Tutorials are conducted to allow feedback and opportunities to refine and make amendments to the proposals. July 30th would be the final submission the proposals. To record the overall process of research and development, I have updated my blog with posts relating to the topic. In-depth research on the topic would take another week after the final proposal submission and the draft of the essay will be executed a week after that. Tutorials conducted via-email and face-to-face consultations would take place in the final semester to ensure the quality of the essay. The final essay submission will be at the final week in the final semester AB.

Conclusion

This preparation and research in the proposal would allow the execution of the essay deem very feasible.

Hopefully it would make sense.

Essay Structure

Intro:

- History of communication and how/when we started to be so be intrigued by technology. Inventions expand - Frankenstein Syndrome. We want tech to be more seamless, immersive. We wouldn't want to see the medium. Hence, the idea of Wearable Technology.

- Wearable Tech is inspired and invented by sci-fi movies/the need to solve problems.

1.  What is wearable tech?

 - Wearable : something, an article of clothing or device where you could put on or wear and could take off.

- Differences between wearable Media and Wearable Technology.

 - Media is the main means of mass communication, a subcategory under Technology.

-Technology itself is the application of scientific knowledge for practical purposes, especially in industry.

- John Bilton(2010) Technology is classified into 5 classes. Technology as objects, technology as knowledge, technology as activities, technology as a process, and technology as a socio technical system (interactive media).

- Wearable Computers and Wearable Technology.

-Technology may not be correlated to computers. They are different entities. A computer is just an electronic device for storing and processing data, typically in binary form, according to instructions given to it in a variable program.

Examples of wearable computers: Google glass / Samsung Galaxy Gear

Examples of wearable technology: Nicole Sherzinger's Tweetdress / Drum pants / Wearable Health monitors

- Wearable tech is not new. Diachronic processes of wearable media will be stated.

The first Wearable Tech: The Pocket Watch

First Wearable Computer by Claude Shannon and Edward O. Thorp was invented to predict   where the ball would land on the Russian roulette wheel.

- Wearable Technology is classified into two: Utility & Entertainment

- Health, Military, Infotainment, Fashion, Fitness and Wellness

- Gestural Tech and Wearable Tech is often confused as there are tech which merges the two. They are different entities as well. Differences will be stated. Example: Wearable media requires users to put on gear whereas Gestural tech do not.

           

2. Arguments section. Is it really necessary?

- What tech is considered a need now? (mobile phones) Will wearable tech with their specified purposes eventually replace phones with its limited interfaces and functionality? Wearable Computers are more limiting than mobile phones.

- We have short attention spans, (maximum 8 Seconds) and have the need for flexibility.

- Wearable media is in what part of the timeline of evolution of technology? Is it a necessary evolution which will bring us to a better understanding of inventing greater and more intelligent tech? Is it just a transitional stage to advanced implant technology?

- Will it be practical, safe, healthy? Will it be compulsory?

Examples of future wearable tech : Smart Contact Lenses, Smart EarBuds,  Blood Tattoo Computers.

3. How will it be related to my Final Year Project

4. Conclude scope: Extensions of man. Humans will be their own superheroes.

These are a couple of references I got my sources from:

http://www.bigfishgames.com/blog/google-wear-history-wearable-technology/

-brief history of tech

http://www.studymode.com/essays/Technology-In-Our-Life-956238.html

- 5 classes of tech

https://blogs.ubc.ca/etec540sept10/2010/09/23/technology-many-facets/

- Student blogs about 5 classes

http://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/pocket-watch-was-worlds-first-wearable-tech-game-changer-180951435/

- pocket watch

http://www.saggezza.com/from-databank-to-glass-the-amazing-history-of-wearable-tech/

- history of wearable tech

http://www.saggezza.com/from-databank-to-glass-the-amazing-history-of-wearable-tech/

Market research

http://www.hfidtc.com/research/command/c-and-c-reports/phase-2/HFIDTC-2-1-1-1-2-command-paradigms.pdf

Report for technology as a socio technical system

http://www.academia.edu/7092537/Witnessed_Presence_and_Wearable_Electronics_the_design_of_trust_for_sociotechnical_systems

Witnessed Presence and Wearable Electronics: the design of trust for sociotechnical systems