1. More and More Storage
The amount of storage we have available on hard disk drives has increased again and again. What created our need for such huge amounts of storage? How have our storage habits changed? What is the perfect balance for you in how you use nonvolatile storage?
Responses will vary but may include a discussion of the increasing amount of work that is now done digitally, rather than on paper; reliance on email and text messaging; and the massive amounts of digital entertainment - music, movies, photos - we routinely store on our hard drives. Students may discuss their use of flash drives and external hard drives, as well as their use of cloud-based storage solutions such as Dropbox, Google Drive, and SkyDrive.
2. Emerging Technologies
Touch screens are now available in a range of sizes, from smartphones to iPads to larger products like the Microsoft Surface. Windows 8 has a redesigned interface for support of touch screens. What other new technologies will become part of our collective experience? How will these technologies and devices change entertainment and how people interact with information? What future technologies would be on your wish list?
Responses will vary but should include a discussion of the types of technology students wish to integrate into their daily lives. Students may discuss the newest tablet devices (Microsoft Surface, Kindle Fire, etc.) as well as the latest smartphones. Instructors should expect improvements in 3D to be a big topic for future entertainment. Technology that permits viewers to choose different endings to movies, or interact with movie characters might also be on the horizon. For years people have spoken about television or movies letting the viewer smell or feel something in the movie. Theme parks have "rides" that allow people to feel movement as they ride a simulated rollercoaster. Might future homes have an entertainment room where the TV is three dimensional and people participate in the movie or game?