fall '13 tech crewsaders magazine

The Quarterly Tech Magazine

Tech Crewsaders Magazine

Edition 2.1

A Seoul foreign school publication

Fall/2013

FALL ‘13 EDITION P2

Lillian ShengSenior Editor & Writer

Tech Crewsaders PublicationsDhira Web Khewsubtrakool

EDITOR IN CHIEF

Patrick TomHonEXECUTIVE EDITOR OF CONTENT

Alex ByunEDITOR OF THE POST

Seongwoo ChoiEXECUTIVE EDITOR OF DESIGN

SENIOR EDITORS & WRITERSJames Yuh

Lillian Sheng

CONTRIBUTING EDITORSIan Kim

Hye Joon LeeAshton LeCornu

Stian Mikalsen

CONTRIBUTING WRITERSAlbert Kim

Alexander de BruinJames Whong

Justin Kae

Kathleen LeeNathan Cheung

Patrick Hahn

Sabrina SungWilliam Paek

William TomHonYong Choi

TECH CREWSADER MEMBERSAlbert KimAlex Byun

Anno ChangChris Kim

Christian de BruinDhira Web Khewsubtrakool

James WhongJames Yuh

Justin KaeKathleen LeeLillian Sheng

Michael MusselNathan Cheung

Patrick HahnPatrick TomHon

Sabrina Sung

Seongwoo ChoiSeungwoo Paik

William PaekWilliam TomHon

Won Hee ChoYong Choi

Yoonjie Park

TECH CREWSADERS MAGAZINE FALL ISSUE ‘13

As the Senior Editor & Writer, I proudly present the first Issue of our 2013-14 academic year!

After a year since it’s launch, the Tech Crewsader Magazine now has over 16,000 total online viewership, with the Spring Issue accounting for more than 10,000. Locally, the Tech Crewsaders magazine is now delivering to the subscribed one third of the High School and all devisions of the SFS community, which also includes members of the business office and school wide staff. Furthermore, this fall issue will be distributed to international educators that will be attending the Google Summit held at SFS as well, which will improve our magazine’s standing in the international community.

At the same time, the Tech Crewsaders, have been involved in many aspects of the Seoul Foreign School community that may not be so widely known. Not so long ago the Tech Crewsader team taught a total of 3 classes on the use of Adobe InDesign to the Yearbook

team. Concurrently, We also focus our energy into implementing our design philosophy into different organizations and teams at SFS as well. For the Seoul Model United Nations club, the Tech Crewsader team has redesigned the seomunkorea.com website into a symbol of modern web design. Additionally, they took on the task of redesigning logos, posters, stationaries, and many more components that makes up the SEOMUN experience.

We hope that this trend of involvement in the community continues, as that is our purpose and our natural role.

P3 FALL ‘13 EDITION

Brian Hamm, B. Ed, M. EdEDUCATION TECHNOLOGY INTEGRATIONIST

complexity.

Consistency in design represents the coherence of vision and philosophy that exists within our team. We believe that the first question that we must answer when beginning to design something is our identity - who are we and what do we want to become? From there, we can begin to craft around our intentions to provide the best publication and website we can make.

Dhira Web KhewsubtrakoolEditor in Chief



to be a small tech editorial developed for teachers to help them integrate technology effectively, but it quickly became apparent that there was greater potential and demand elsewhere. Now, we stand at around a one-third subscription rate for the entire school, with thousands of online readers from around the world. What we are today is, without a doubt, something that we could not have imagined just a year ago.

However, we cannot stop just yet and soak in our achievement. We must continue to move forward to reach new grounds. Soon, we will launch the brand new techcrewsader.com website, after the Google Summit in Seoul, which is taking place right here at SFS. Not only it will it be state of the art, but we believe that the way that it will look and feel will also reflect our design philosophy in everything that we do. In the same way that our redesigned magazine is characterized by its flat design and clean grid-based layout, our website is clean, plain, simple, and flat, but at the same time, very valuable in content and

Looking back at how much we have achieved during the past year in terms of the Tech Crewsaders magazine, I am truly amazed and astounded by what I, my team, and our publication have achieved. In the beginning, the Tech Crewsaders magazine was meant

As I thumb through the pages of our 5th edition of this magazine, it is easy to forget that just one year ago it was simply an idea; one of many innovative ideas the SFHS Tech Crewsaders bring forward daily. It is their ability to identify need, "think big" and take risks that turned the idea into a project, and the project into a publication that

has reached over 10,000 readers in a year. This student group of talented designers and forward thinkers are doing daily exactly what they ask of their readers: challenging and enhancing the status quo by embracing change and simply being creative with technologies available to them.

When I reflect upon the past year of development with the Tech Crewsaders, I am blown away and inspired by how these students have fully used this opportunity as a vehicle for growth - as individuals, as a student group and as part of a much larger community. The Hilary Cooper quote: "Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away" is one of my favorites and applicable to the year I've shared with this group. As educators, we live for these moments when it's simply great to be a teacher. We have all experienced the eb and flow of such moments, but for me, the past year with the Tech Crewsader has definitely

left me breathless; partly because of the pace these ambitious tech savvy students have set for the club and for this publication, but mostly from simply watching and working with them in their element and at their best.

I hope you find this issue helpful and supportive, but I also hope it inspires and challenges you, as the Tech Crewsaders inspire and challenge me, to "think big" and be creative with the countless technologies available to you.

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By Lillian Sheng & Ian Kim


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eince 9/11 and the advent of the ‘War on Terror’, the U.S. government has dramatically increased the scope in which its intelligence agencies can ‘legally’ collect information and conduct surveillance on foreign and, now as it turns out, domestic citizens. One of the programs that came to fruition under this policy of extended surveillance was PRISM – a mechanism that allows the government to collect user data from companies such as Google, Microsoft, Apple, Yahoo, and many others. However, it was not until June of this year that a government security contractor named Edward Snowden decided to blow the whistle on the classified details pertaining to this operation clouded in secrecy. On June 6th 2013, The Guardian and The Washington Post published reports based on leaked internal NSA training presentations, which revealed that the NSA had “direct access” to the servers of Google, Facebook, and other silicon valley companies. In the days following the leak, the implicated companies, initially, vehemently denied knowledge of and cooperation with PRISM. Moreover, they denied accusations that the NSA is permitted to access their users’ data.

PRISM is a tool used by the NSA (U.S. National Security Agency) to obtain private electronic data belonging to specific users as well as

the greater public through of major Internet corporations and services like Gmail, Yahoo and Facebook. As The Washington Post previously reported, “The Protect America Act of 2007 led to the creation of a secret NSA program called US-984XN – also known as PRISM.” The program is rumored to be a streamlined version of similar surveillance practices that the U.S. intelligence community was conducting in the years following 9/11, under the directive of President George W. Bush’s “Terrorist Surveillance Program”.

The Protect America Act allows the U.S attorney general and the director of national intelligence to explain in a classified document how the United States would collect intelligence on foreigners overseas each year. However, it does not require the identification of specific targets or locations. Once a program is green-lighted by a federal judge in a classified order, the NSA can pressure companies like Google and Facebook into sending proprietary data to the government, as long as the order meets the classified plan’s

predetermined criteria. However, both the companies and the government insist that data is only assembled with court approval and for specific aims. According to The Washington Post, “PRISM is said to merely be a streamlined system – varying between companies – that permits them to expedite court-approved data collection requests.” Therefore, the U.S. government maintains that the system is only allowed to collect data when given consent by the secretive yet technically legally solvent Foreign Intelligent Court.

Even though much has already been uncovered, we still do not have a complete understanding of how the actual system operates, is maintained, or even its full potential and scope. Furthermore, since there are few technical details about how PRISM works available, and due to the fact that the FISA court functions under national security classification, critics are concerned as to the extent of the program and whether it violates the civil liberties of U.S. citizens.

Courtesy of Defringe.comP5 FALL ‘13 EDITION

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longside the technical revelations regarding PRISM, some light has also been shed on what exactly the NSA looks for

and what it gathers. Broadly speaking, the collected information can be split into two categories according to leaked NSA guidelines: data from “upstream” wiretapping, which compiles data from undersea communications cables, and the data secured from PRISM, which acquires data through US telecommunications companies.

The NSA generally focuses on the collection of two types of data: metadata and content data. Metadata is the byproduct of electronic communications (e.g. phone records) that reveals the participants, time, and duration of calls. The forms of communications collected specifically by PRISM include the contents of emails, chats, VoIP calls and cloud files. The U.S government has tried to allay fears about the NSA’s indiscriminate metadata aggregation by pointing out that it does not reveal the actual contents of conversations or communications. But metadata can be as publicized as content—Internet metadata includes information such as e-mail logs, geolocation data (i.e. IP addresses), and search history. Because of antiquated legal frameworks, metadata is currently far less safeguarded legally than the content itself in the U.S. In the leaked documents, evidence demonstrated that Verizon handed over the call records and telephone metadata of all of its customers to the NSA on an “ongoing, daily basis.”

The Washington Post and The Guardian publish a leaked training Powerpoint presentation outlining the procedures and operation surrounding PRISM. Both publications revealed that PRISM is a highly classified program that permits the National Security Agency in coordination with the Federal Bureau of Investigation to retrieve data directly from various telecommunications and technology-related service providers.

07.06.13

11.06.13

20.06.13

24.06.13

29.06.13

08.07.13

06.06.13

The U.K. (GCHQ) has been obtaining private Internet user-data since 2010 under guidance from the NSA.

09.06.13

Edward Snowden, a former security contractor for the NSA and man responsible for the PRISM leak, takes refuge in Hong Kong.

8 U.S. Senators announces a bill to declassify the court opinions that permitted the NSA to conduct PRISM.

18.06.13

09.08.13

NSA director, General Keith Alexander, informs Congress that over 50 terrorist plots were stopped

A bipartisan caucus attempts to limit the US intelligence agencies controversial and broad authority to conduct warrant-less surveillance actions.

Leaked documents reveal NSA can store “inadvertently acquired” data on American citizens for up to five years.

Media reveals the U.S. bugged the offices of EU diplomatic missions in Washington and the UN offices.

24.07.13 An amendment that would have stopped the agency from collecting the phone records of millions of Americans was narrowly defeated in a 205 to 217 in the House of Representatives.

President Obama’s new appointee to lead the FBI informs a U.S. Senate vetting committee that he believes whistle blowers in the FBI are "a critical element of a functioning democracy" and that he would take steps to protect them if he's confirmed.


President Obama announces that there will be necessary reforms implemented to the intelligence collection and surveillance operations in light of the PRISM scandal, but states that Edward Snowden actions were not patriotic.

next spread

Many crucial details on how and under what circumstances the NSA collects data are still unavailable. Legally

speaking, surveillance programs rely on two key statutes, Section 702 of the FISA Amendments Act (FAA) and Section 215 of the Patriot Act. The former authorizes the aggregation of communications data through PRISM and similar programs, while the latter authorizes the collection of metadata from telecommunications companies such as Verizon and AT&T.

Nonetheless, multiple reports and leaked documents indicate the statutes have been interpreted in secret by the FISA intelligence courts to grant much broader authority than they were originally intended to authorize. They also revealed that the FISA courts only approve the NSA’s collection procedures, and that individual warrants for specific targets are not required.

Generally, the steps in which NSA accrues data is as follows:

Firstly, an analyst starts by inputting

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“selectors” (search terms or tags) into a system like PRISM, which then “tasks” information from other collection sites, known as SIGADs (Signals Intelligence Activity Designators).

In addition, because SIGADs have both classified and unclassified code names, and are tasked for different types of data, a central entity code named NUCLEON gathers the contents of phone conversations, while others like MARINA store Internet metadata.

According to the leaked documents, under the agency’s targeting and “minimization” rules, NSA analysts cannot specifically target a U.S. citizen domestically per say. Yet, the Washington Post also reported that “an analyst must have at least 51-percent certainty their target is foreign.” As to what constitutes 51% is a highly contentious.

The laws state the analyst must take steps to remove data that is determined to be from “U.S. persons”, but even if they are not relevant to terrorism or national security, these communications can still be stored and analyzed for up to half a decade without judicial review. The information can even be shared with other agencies under the U.S intelligence community umbrella (e.g. FBI, CIA, DEA). The communications are supposedly shared under the justification that they are “reasonably believed to contain evidence of a crime that has been, is being, or is about to be committed”, or that they contain information relevant to arms proliferation or cyber security. Moreover, if communications are encrypted, they can be kept indefinitely.

Above: Director of the National Security Agency (NSA), General Keith B. Alexander, US Army

P7 FALL 13’ EDITION

19.08.13

29.08.13

Officials from the British intelligence agency GCHQ raid The Guardian newspaper’s offices and wipe hard drives related to ‘whistle blower’ `Edward Snowden.

24.08.13

After an NSA spokesperson admitted a handful of "willful violations of NSA's authorities" over the past ten years, The Wall Street Journal reported a simple but worrying reason for some breaches: the officers were spying on an object of affection. Previously, two officials told Bloomberg that a few violations involved love interests, but another attributed the willful overreaches to overzealous analysts looking to prevent a terrorist attack.

25.08.13

31.08.13

31.08.13

It is discovered by German paper Der Spiegel that the NSA bugged offices in the UN's New York headquarters.

From Snowden’s leaked documents it had been revealed that the NSA had accessed the “internal communication” system of news network Al Jazeera. The extent, however, is still not clear.

It is revealed that the PRISM program and corresponding programs had been allocated a $52.6 billion per annum budget by the U.S government.

05.09.13A new leak from The Guardian and The New York Times revealed that most common encryption protocols are all indefensible to the NSA’s servers and all seeing eye.

President’s Obama’s administration has alleviated restrictions on the NSA’s surveillance reach in 2011. As a result the NSA received permission to search interecepted phone calls and emails without a warrant.

Above: Edward Snowden, a 29-year-old intelligence contractor formerly employed by the NSA, CIA, and Booz Allen Hamilton, confessed responsibility for leaking the PRISM documentsBelow: A map illustrating the Internet traffic of the world. As you can see the US has a clear advantage of having access to the majority of the world’s flow of data .


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n the weeks that followed the PRISM document leak, a global debate regarding the United States government’s surveillance and spying program was initiated, and

fiery criticism from the international community’s has begun to engulf the NSA, Congress, and the Obama administration.

While outspoken supporters of the NSA surveillance program in Congress and the White House – including President Obama – have argued the constitutional and utilitarian justification of the project, anxiety and opposition seems to be growing in certain sections of Congress. In June of this year, a number of senators unveiled a bill that aimed to rein in the problematic legal provisions that provide U.S. intelligence agencies nearly unfettered authority to conduct warrant-less scrutiny over domestic and foreign communications. Several other lawmakers have introduced their own measures, but legislative reform is still at its infant stages as for now.

Meanwhile, a diverse coalition of interest groups and private organizations are

directly challenging some of the NSA’s surveillance programs in court. On July 16th, a team of plaintiffs joined to sue the U.S. government for “an illegal and unconstitutional program of dragnet electronic surveillance,” in which the NSA gathered the consumer phone records of Verizon, AT&T, Sprint and other domestic telecommunication service providers. The service and data storage providers at the heart of PRISM controversy are beginning to recognize their involvement and fight back against government intervention as well, but the specific details in regards to their original involvement in NSA surveillance on US citizens is still hazy. Microsoft, Google, Yahoo, and other technology firms have stepped up pressure in the past month on the government to declassify the process by which it coerces them into handing over their private data. In an impassioned plea on July the 16th this year, Brad Smith, Microsoft’s head legal counsel, stated: “We believe the U.S. constitution guarantees our freedom to share more information with the public, yet the government is stopping us.”

Finally, there’s the group of people most affected by PRISM and its sibling programs: the American public and a broader scale the international community. On July 4th, “Restore the Fourth” rallied in more than 100 U.S. cities to protested the government’s surveillance programs, focusing on electronic privacy. It is unclear if public outrage will result in reform, but as a consequence of the startling actions of Edward Snowden, a civic discussion on the constitutionality of the U.S. government’s covert surveillance operations has started to gain momentum.


THE WORLD’S LARGESTWEB PUBLISHING PLATFORM

BY YOONJIE PARK

WORDPRESS


What is WordPress? Contrary to popular perception, it isn’t something that people use to create boring blogs that document miniscule details about their dull lives. Created in 2003 with minimal amount of coding, today it is the biggest self-hosted blogging tool in the world. It is utilized by millions of sites and is seen by millions of people every day. As an open source project, it was not created by a single person, but rather, by hundreds of people all over the world working on it to make it the very best. Now, it is not only a blogging system, but also a full content management system thanks to the thousands of plugins, widgets and themes that are available for use.

Though it may not seem that way, one out of every six websites are powered by WordPress, which amounts to almost 60 million, with 100,000 more sites being created daily. As a non-commercial, non-profit foundation, now a decade after its launch, it continues to stay free. After its creation in 2003, WordPress themes were first introduced in 2005, which allowed users to design their own site without having to change its core program. Throughout the years, many different options were added such as the ability to customize sidebars, various plugins, the Admin Bar and Post Formats.

Now that you have a general knowledge of how WordPress came to be, it is now time to find out what the purpose of the whole thing is. Sure, bloggers use it to pour their hearts out on a monologue they hope someone will eventually read. But it much more than just blogs. It is an open source content management system with many capabilities. So what on earth is a content management system? It is a platform that enables you to manage all the content you want on your website,

whether it be images, texts, videos, links, or social media, and store it in a remote database. Although there are many of these CMS’s, WordPress is by far the most user-intuitive, not to mention that it is free.

Now back to the topic of what WordPress was originally created for- blogging. Blog, blog, blog. A word very commonly used, yet a surprising number of people are not aware of exactly what it means. The term “blog” is an abbreviation of “weblog”, a word used to describe websites that maintain an ongoing chronicle of information. Blogs have diary-type commentary and links to other websites, most of which are commonly presented as a list of entries in reverse chronological order, with the most recent posts at the top. Blogs can be personal to political, and can be focused on one particular subject or a large range of subjects. Most people have the conception that all blogs have to be on sites with the term in its name, such as Blogger. This, however, is not true, for WordPress is the platform that the majority of blogs are hosted on.

If WordPress is so great, how is it possible that all this is free? What’s the catch? If a company or an individual owned it, it probably wouldn’t be free. However, because it is an open source community project where thousands of people make contributions to make it a better software, it really is free. Some people get confused between WordPress.org and WordPress.com. WordPress.com, unlike WordPress, is a “restricted” free blog hosting service site, where you can pay or upgrade to unlock features such as appearance modification. (CSS)


The users of WordPress aren’t all bloggers who sit on their computers all day. NASA, the National Aeronautic and Space Administration, is an active participant in the open source community, or WordPress, to be more specific. The agency has been using WordPres extensively on many of their sites, such as data.nasa.gov or code.nasa.gove. NASA isn’t the only well-known user of WordPress. Other notable users include eBay, CNN, Forbes, The New York Times, UPS, and Sony. Katy Perry, Jay-Z, and the Rolling Stones’ websites all run on WordPress as well. All of the above don’t use it merely for blogging, but more for building their online websites.

One of the most commonly asked questions is, “What’s the difference between WordPress.org and WordPress.com?” In order to differentiate them, you need to compare the differences in cost, freedoms/limitations, and maintenance/development. WordPress.org is the center of the WordPress open source community, where thousands of free themes and plugins can be found. On the other hand, WordPress.com is a commercial website where you can host a free site yourself with some limitations or pay for upgrades similar to freemium games. Although it runs on the same software that WordPress.org offers, WordPress.com relieves you of having to set up and maintain WordPress on your own server and managing those servers. Though hosting and maintenance will be free on WordPress.com, your site will have numerous restrictions and advertising, and you will have to pay a fee yearly to get rid of these.

WordPress.org is known well for the numerous themes that the individual user could choose to use. Themes on

WordPress are files that work together to create the design and functionality of a WordPress site. Each theme is different, and offers many choices for the owner of the site to instantly change the way their website looks. You might want a theme to create a unique look for your site, to to switch between two site layouts, or to provide different templates for specific site features, for example, category pages or search result pages. Themes have many benefits, such as separating the presentation styles and template files from the system files, allowing for customization of the site functionality, and allowing for quick changes of the visual design and layout of a site.

So, say you’re won over by how attractive making your own WordPress site sounds. How do you make one? It’s simple, and can be done in 20 minutes or even less. First of all, you need to gather the materials necessary to set up a WordPress blog. You need: a domain name, a credit card, and around 20 minutes or so of your time. Specific instructions on how to create your own site can be found on michaelhyatt.com/ez-wordpress-setup.html.

With 66,130,651 installations worldwide, 25,045 plugins, 1,780 free themes, 72.4 million WordPress blogs, and 500,000 new posts being published every day and counting, WordPress truly is something huge. And it’s happening at Seoul Foreign School.


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EVOLUTION OFTHE INTERFACEBY: PATRICK TOMHON AND WILLIAM TOMHON

Interface [n. in-ter-feys]

A common boundary or interconnection between

systems, equipment, concepts, or human beings.

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Apple recently released iOS 7, it’s new operating system for mobile devices. What Apple has done with iOS 7 successful,

captivating, and practical software user interface. The redesigning of their color scheme and icons demonstrate Apples’ commitment to making the software not just a way to access an app or listen to music, but a way to enjoy every part of the technology that you’re using. The introduction of the Control Panel in iOS 7 promises new functionality and ease of access to commonly used features and settings and the intuitive new multi tasking design allows users to readily switch between commonly used apps.

The leaps and bounds that Apple has made in its software (for both their computers and mobile devices) have been paralleled across the world of technology over the past decade.

The development of software is vital to the way we interact with machines. Not every person is a computer specialist who can communicate with computers through lines of code dictating its every action. Most of us need colorful, easy access menus and flamboyant tiles and icons that not only allow us to utilize computers as integral parts of our everyday lives, but also allow us to be entertained while we’re at it.

However, while the universe of software has expanded significantly in recent decades, the world has seen little change in

the ways we physically interact with machines. Essentially, everyone inputs data into their machine the same way an office worker in the 1960s would have for his IBM 610. The idea of plugging information through buttons dates decades back to the inception of the Bell telephone.

Likewise, we still use the mouse to direct our cursor around the screen and select objects to complete your task. While the first computers only saw action through the keyboard and other buttons, the mouse was an innovation of the ages in 1979. While the ‘79 design looks quite different from the mouse today, it nonetheless serves the same purpose. [INPUT PICTURE OF FIRST MOUSE NEXT TO PRESENT MOUSE]

The key point to draw out is that for almost 30 years the field of technology

has seen little progress in the way we physically interact with machines. While the development of the touchscreen and its utilization in mobile devices offer a possible avenue for progress in our interactions with computers, the touch screen is only a small leap in the progression of our interactions with machines. Moreover, the current generation is reluctant to abandon their keyboard and mouse for a touch screen that offers only fingerprints and tired arms while demanding more money. The goal of hardware interface designers and innovators needs to mirror those of software interface designers: to please aesthetics and functionality.

Above: One of the first commercially available mice was made by Apple Inc.Below: MYO lets you use the electrical activity in your muscles to wirelessly control your computer, phone, and other favorite digital technologies.


Silicon Valley and the rest of the technology industry has taken notice of this lag in the development of a new physical interface. As such the past few years have seen young inventors and innovators attempt to take a leap into the unknown and pull the world with them. However, the world has been unwilling to be dragged into the future as the common user still cleaves onto familiarity.

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The original computer’s interface was just a list of commands and typed phrases. From the ‘50s to the early ‘70s the only developments in this was in the human to hardware to software interaction. The original computer used only a QWERTY keyboard. This then developed into only command keys and a programmable magnetic card reader which enabled the user to quickly develop programs. During this time a monitor light pen was also developed and could be used to draw diagrams directly on the computer, it is considered to be an archetype of the mouse. The first major change in the software interface of a PC was the Xerox Alto which developed the desktop metaphor; the idea was to implement stationary materials onto the computer’s interface. It also featured the first computer mouse, however this computer was not commercially available; the first commercially available desktop metaphor GUI was the Xerox Star. During this time touch interfaces were also being developed. Myron W. Krueger, a computer artist, used this new technology to create “Video Place” which pioneered many multi-touch gestures that are used today.

Throughout the 1980s Apple began to develop its menu interfaces. Their Apple Lisa and Macintosh featured

drop-down menus, a multi-window GUI, and a drag-and-drop interface. In the beginning of the new millennium, Apple began to focus on the design of its interface and visual appeal rather than its actual functionality. In 2007 they also released the first iPhone which created the standard for all interface designs for smartphones; this led to several lawsuits in the future. With the release of the Nintendo Wii in 2009, a whole new era of human-interface interaction began. The Wii was one of the first commercially successful products to use motion capturing technology on a major scale. This was also one of the first times that the human-interface interaction hardware changed, an idea that was developed further by the Leap Motion, a device that was to make it easier for 3D modeling on a computer.

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Earlier this year a small company based in San Francisco called Leap Motion aspired to bring change to this mundane experience.

It’s founders, David Holz and Michael Buckwald, imagined a world where the user no longer had to grasp onto a mouse, but could control their machine or device with a flick of their hand. Holz’s original inspiration came from his frustration in molding a ball of clay on a computer versus in person. This artistic inspiration parallels that of Myron Krueger, a computer artist who dreamed up a multi-touch interface in 1975. Holz’s Leap Motion projects a workspace above the device through which users can interact with their machines. However, both Krueger and Holz’s designs have seen severe setbacks in their “interface revolutions”. The multi-touch interface is impractical

and offers only minute improvements to the interaction between humans and computers. Holz’s Leap Motion, though grand in thought, was ultimately a failure because of poor execution.

Hence, a void still remains in the technology industry for the next “new thing”. The world of technology has to dream even bigger than replacing just the mouse aspect of our interaction; imagine if our work was no longer confined to a screen. The futuristic notion of holographics has been constantly toyed with by inventors and scientists, but a commercial possibility of this is yet to be seen. This possibility of holographic interaction has been explored in hundreds of sci-fi novels and movies such as Iron Man.

Gone are the days where data is confined to a box in front of your face; a revolution of the interface could lead to hundreds of developments and will change the way we surf the internet, game, and even explore the world. It remains the responsibility of the human race to continue to test the consumer’s boundaries and explore to find the best possible way to improve the hardware interface. It remains the choice of the consuming world whether or not to accept every piece of new technology brought to them. The next advancement has to not just improve the way we communicate with machines, but enhance the way we interact with technology.

Google Glass and the MYO Armband by Thalmic Labs are two upcoming pieces of technology that have the potential to change the way we interact with machines in a dramatic way. However while Glass may add a new piece of technology

The MIR series of USSR manufactured PCs featured a keyboard as well as monitor light pen for correcting text and drawing on screen. This light pen was a precursor to the idea of the mouse or the stylus and was seen to be the most direct user-to-computer interaction for the time. However, little data about the MIR series remains after it was phased out and for the most part eliminated from Russian society after later inventions.

1957 1964 1969 1973 1975 1981 1983 1984

In 1957 IBM released the IBM 610, the first PC (personal computer) for the use of a single person. The first device to combine a keyboard with a computer, it featured a QWERTY keyboard, control panel, program tape, data tape input devices, typewriter, cathode ray tube output, data tape and program tapes. Priced at $55,000 it could also be rented for $1,150 per month, and was small enough to fit in an office or home.

The video-based Video Place/Video Disk system by Myron W. Krueger creates the majority of the multi-touch gestures as the pinch-to-zoom. Krueger, a computer artist, pioneered the majority of the gestures that we used to day and developed many interactive works. His ideas are considered to be the first of the first generation virtual reality and augmented reality.

In 1983, Apple released the Apple Lisa. The Lisa was an evolution of the Xerox Star, and more cost available for the everyday consumer. It was equipped with expansion slots, a numeric keypad, an advanced calculator, data corruption protection, multitasking, and support for up to 2MB of RAM. The first PC to feature pull down menus and menu bars, these features spread like a virus to every other interface.

The first Macintosh was released in 1984. It was the first commercially successful product to utilize a “multi-window GUI”, and it also created icons for applications such as the file folder for file directories, files that looked like paper, and a trash-can for deleted items. The first Mac also introduced the drag-and-drop features for its icons and file system.

The Xerox Star was commercially released in 1981, eight years after the initial private offering of the Alto. It featured a window-based GUI, folders, Ethernet networking, print servers, electronic mail, bitmapped display, icons, and a two buttoned mouse. This was the first commercially available PC that used the desktop metaphor in its software.

One of the most definitive turning points in PCs was the creation of the Xerox Alto on March 1, 1973. It was the first PC to utilize a mouse and the desktop metaphor. The interface was designed to implement stationary materials on to the computer’s screen. An open window looked like a paper copy of the document which could go into a filing cabinet or a computer folder.

The Programma 101, revealed at the 1964 World’s Fair in New York, was the first desktop computer. The device’s inputs were through a programming keyboard and a magnetic card reader, and it could output data via its printing unit and codes on a program card.


for us to integrate into our lives, it does not offer a clear solution to the problem of computer hardware interfaces. The solution to this may be the MYO, an armband that detects electric muscle impulses designed by Thalmic Labs. MYO’s revolutionary detecting features makes it just one more piece of technology with the potential to transform the technological universe as its success could denote the death of the mouse or even the end of an age where we actually touch our device. MYO offers many of the same features as Leap Motion except that it is not confined to a space above the device; the armband constantly detects specific hand movements.

It is difficult to predict whether our world will be transformed next January with the release of MYO and Glass or in 5 years by a different piece of technology. We may even see a leap forward in the development of commercial holograms whose use then ties into a piece of technology like MYO. However whatever the advancement is, there is no doubt that the future of technology lies in the hardware interface. The way we interact with machines has evolved slowly, but a growing interest in revolutionizing the interface may suggest soon to come change.

Right: Tony Stark’s holographic augmented reality set up

1994 1995 2001 2007 2009 2012

In 1983, Apple released the Apple Lisa. The Lisa was an evolution of the Xerox Star, and more cost available for the everyday consumer. It was equipped with expansion slots, a numeric keypad, an advanced calculator, data corruption protection, multitasking, and support for up to 2MB of RAM. The first PC to feature pull down menus and menu bars, these features spread like a virus to every other interface.

Although the term smartphone wasn’t coined until 1997, the IBM & Bell South Simon, released in August 16, 1994, is considered to be the first smartphone as it was the first to combine a PDA with a cell phone. It featured a touch interface that worked best with a stylus, as well as faxing, email, and cellular page capabilities.

Apple releases its iconic operating system, the OS X. This interface featured the apps “floating” at the bottom of the screen, drop shadows around windows that added depth, and the maximize, minimize, and close buttons seen in the upper left hand corner of every window. They added “human interface guidelines” to create a consistent user interface and keyboard shortcuts. The OS X changed the goal of the operating system to not only be focused on speed and stability but on appearance as well.

In December of 2009, Nintendo released the Wii, introducing a whole new user-software interaction style. The Wii the first commercially successful product to employ human motions to interact with the interface. This began a domino effect of ideas for human-interface interaction, marking the beginning of the end for the keyboard and mouse.

Microsoft introduced Windows 8 on October 26, 2012. Microsoft’s goal with Windows 8 was to create a software interface that would bridge boundaries between traditional desktops and laptops and the increasingly popular tablets, such as Microsoft’s own Surface. This marked an important point in interface history with Microsoft attempting to merge a touch interface with a desktop metaphor interface.

The media quickly dubbed Apple’s first iPhone it the “Jesus phone” in 2007. The iPhone featured a multi-touch screen, Wi-Fi connectivity, 3G connectivity, on-screen keyboard, camera, and access to iTunes. From iTunes customers could purchase different applications, music, video games, and movies. The style of its apps, the style of its pages, and the style of the phone revolutionized the phone industry, leading to the debate of whether Apple should deserve sole rights to this ground-breaking technology.

On August 24, 1995, Microsoft released Windows ’95, displaying new breakthroughs in operating system technologies. This was the first time they introduced their recognizable “start” button and taskbar, changing the way users navigated. Neil MacDonald, a Gartner analyst, described Windows ‘95 as “a quantum leap in difference in technological capability and stability.”

The first Macintosh was released in 1984. It was the first commercially successful product to utilize a “multi-window GUI”, and it also created icons for applications such as the file folder for file directories, files that looked like paper, and a trash-can for deleted items. The first Mac also introduced the drag-and-drop features for its icons and file system.


BY SABRINA SUNG AND ALEX DE BRUIN


WHAT IS GOOGLEGLASS?

Since its first announcement in April of 2012, Project Glass proved itself an idea with potential—enough to rapidly spread into a worldwide sensation. So, what exactly is this new piece of technology that has taken the Internet and news by storm?

The Google Glass is an augmented-reality headset that projects a high resolution display above the right eye. It comes with a 5-megapixel camera and the ability to take 720p videos, audio in the form of a bone conduction transducer, 12 gigabytes of usable memory space, a rechargeable battery capable of approximately one full working day, and full Bluetooth and WiFi capability. Most netizens consider the Google Glass the world’s first pair of ‘smart-glasses’.

The headset is activated either by tapping the touch pad built into the right side of the device or by a simple upward head motion which then is detected by both the accelerometer and gyroscope sensor. This hands-free concept was part of Google’s principle philosophy for Glass that technology should not distract us from our daily lives.

Upon activation, users can swipe across the touch pad to navigate the interface, accessing social networks, calendars, reminders, and other important information stored either within the device or one’s Google account. Other features are accessible through the “Okay Glass” menu, activated by voice. From here, the headset responds to the wearer’s vocalized commands for functions such as shooting videos, taking pictures, and sending emails or texts.

By the sounds of it, the ‘Glass Experience’ seems thrilling, and the excitement is ever mounting as the release date approaches. However even before distribution, a number of people fondly deemed ‘Explorers’, have already had the opportunity to live the experience firsthand.

SIDE TOUCH SENSOR

GLASS PRISM DISPLAY

USER PERCEPTION

720P CAMERA



WHAT IS THE

UPSIDES OF

EXPLORER PROGRAM?

AUGMENTEDREALITY

After the initial distribution to developers and the tech industry, Google had proposed the question, “What would you do if you had Glass?”

Here are a few of the very good ones:

#ifihadglass I would be very concerned about my privacy as Google is famous for violating it

#ifihadglass I would use it to play pac man in a meeting

#ifihadglass I would manage my blood sugar w/instant nutritional information & photo blogging handsfree!

Googles’ concept video, “One day…” certainly has gotten technology enthusiasts thinking. It’s no wonder that technology enthusiasts were quick to sign up for their Explorer Edition Glass headsets. However, privileged as they may be, it is clear that the Explorer Edition is definitely a beta.

Several Explorers taking part in the program tell of its numerous bugs and software crashes, indicating that Glass is still not ready for consumer purchase. On the contrary, people also tell of Google’s swift actions to address the issues brought up, suggesting that the Glass age may not be as far away as we imagine. With opinions so divided, people have written about what they call the “Glass Experience” on the Internet.

Google Glass is meant to blend into our daily lifestyles and enhance it — a readily available, effective, and easy-to-utilize personal aid. The headset is relatively light and the display is positioned so as to not obscure the wearer’s line of sight, and many Explorers say that Glass does not feel out of place. As Kevin Smith of Business Insider puts it, “Anyone who has worn glasses or even sunglasses won’t notice a difference.”

The hands-free interface allows the user to easily integrate Glass into everyday activities with simple motion and voice control. The Google Glass is capable of several functions of a smart phone such as text messaging, social networking, Google Maps navigation, Google Calendar scheduling, videos, photography, and web searches, hands free.

Glass’s predictive software, Google Now, not only informs the user of traffic conditions, weather, and live sports updates, but also books reservations, boarding passes and appointments. Linking the software with the user’s Google Calendar also allows the Google Now to display reminders for important events as they approach.


HAS GLASSLIVED UP TOEXPECTATIONSThe camera and its position on the

Glass headset allows for a unique opportunity to see the world through another persons’ perspective. Explorers have written, blogged, and webcasted about the usefulness of such function, particularly when recording tutorials or giving family a long-distance tour while on vacation.

The Google Search feature proves particularly useful in travel. It allows users to quickly search up directions, currency rates, metric systems, and perhaps most importantly, translations. For many Explorers, Glass is proving itself to be the device they never knew they needed.

The real question is, Does Glass live up to the enhanced reality it promises to be?

Most people are skeptical, and it seems that the recurring complaints are; battery life, the display, and voice control. Although Glass has been advertised to enhance reality as an aid in everyday life, Explorers report that the prototype battery lasts only about 5 hours, and depletes even quicker with continuous use. This raises questions about its functionality in a working environment.

THROUGH GLASS

Some individuals claim that the display causes discomfort and headaches due to its proximity with the eyes, and others have reported mild strains from the lopsided weight of the device. Another aspect of Glass that apparently does not succeed in augmenting reality is the visibility of the display itself, as some Explorers report that rather than assisting them, the low brightness of device is a major struggle that can hinder its practical use. Because there is no built-in back light, the headset display can be difficult to see in sunlight and other bright lighting.

Another heavily advertised component of the Glass experience has been the “hands-free” usage, which puts emphasis on the voice activation and command feature of the device. However, several Explorers expressed that the voice control is far from ideal. With no voice recognition system in place, the headset often picks up on voices of those aside from its user. There are also several cases when Glass misinterprets the user’s commands or repeats it twice, which can be frustrating when inputting searches or

when writing emails and text messages. Also, spending too long on a command causes the device to “lose interest” and turn the display screen off, and although you can reactivate and resume your previous task, it is still a complication to the idea of ‘augmented reality’ along with limited voice command capabilities in noisy or crowded areas.

So in terms of augmenting our daily lives, it seems that Glass has potential but still has much room to improve.


“users have indicated that the current system is vulnerable hacking and modification”

ON SAFETY AND PRIVACY

Another hot topic of Glass is the idea of safety—technology, privacy, and activity wise.

As stated before, the Explorer Edition of Glass is undoubtedly a beta—there are still glitches in the works that users discover and report to Google every day. Of course, amongst these technology enthusiasts, especially amongst the tinkering developers of the first batch, there are those who want to take a closer look at the system, leading to one of the major safety concerns of Glass. More experimental users have indicated that the current system is vulnerable to hacking, modification, that able programmers can alter the functions and capabilities of Glass with ease. Thus far, this has been a plus side for Glass App developers, but with the introduction of systems like Winky, which allows the wearer to take a photo with a wink, this malleable system security starts to negate some of the responses Google has proposed to other concerns.

The largest controversy with Google Glass has been the camera built into the smart-glasses themselves.

Moreover concerns about privacy, such as un-consented photography or the recording of confidential meetings, have been brought up repeatedly in the recent months. Google has responded to these concerns with assurances that it will be obvious when someone is recording with Glass for several reasons, the first being that to film with Glass, one has to look in the direction of

the subject they are recording. Charles Mendis, an engineer of the Glass team says “If I’m recording you, I have to stare at you.” Judging by the fact that staring at someone, with or without the smart-glasses, is often received negatively, and that the light upon the headset that turns on when the device is taking Courtesy of THEVERGE


a photo or recording a video for others to see, the Google Glass team reassures the public that such issues are of minimal concern .

Even still, the headset has already been banned in banks, sporting arenas, performance venues, dressing rooms, and casinos—places deemed ‘stealth-photography sensitive’ or otherwise uncomfortable with the usage of Glass functions within the area. Conferences of confidential nature, such as business meetings or political discussions, are also adverse to the usage of Glass while in session.

Google addresses this in the official Glass FAQ, stating that “like everything, there is a time and place” for Glass. “Always consider your surroundings—just like you would with a cell phone.”

Like cell phones, there is an element of focus that has become a concern. Despite Google’s goal to allow Glass to fit seamlessly into the wearer’s life, in several interviews , the beta-testers indicated that the device can be very distracting, especially in that the smart glasses are fixed in their line of vision

and readily available. However, this brings up the question of safety during certain daily activities, such as driving.

One of Google’s visions for Glass is the device you can ‘take anywhere’. To the developers, this also meant in the car. One function of the headset that many Explorers were eager to try was the much-advertised turn-by-turn navigation system for the

road. However, there are some rising concerns. The navigation system operates through auditory and visual commands, with the images hovering in the wearer’s peripheral view so as not to distract the driver from the road itself. A statement from The Verge, however, indicates that this function might need a bit more work before public release.

“I couldn’t see or hear enough for Glass to work in the car,” Sean Hollister expressed in his article. With Google Maps navigation out of his direct line of sight and the provided interface, he explains that the display wasn’t bright enough for him to see the directions

without looking away from the windshield. Several countries already have an existing ban on cellphone usage from the driver’s seat. Is the Google Glass really any different?

The UK Department for Transport is already working to forbid the use of Google Glass while driving, as “focusing on Glass means your eyes aren’t on the road”. States such as West Virginia and Delaware have also introduced bills regarding Glass on the go, and in the coming months before official release, other states and countries are likely to

follow suit.

The Glass FAQ confesses that the “Glass isn’t for everyone.” As aforementioned, some people might experience headaches or eye strains after continuous usage of Glass, and those with vision problems or children below the age of 13 should not be permitted use of Google Glass. For these safety concerns, however, there is no solution but moderation.

“like everything, there is a time and place”

“Glass isn’t for everyone.”

THE END GAME AND THE FUTURE

Although not yet a complete match to the beautiful concept video itself, Google Glass does preserve all the elements it promised—the smart-glasses can do some of the things your smartphone does, only quicker, easier, and hands-free. It is important to keep in mind that at this stage, all the world has to go on are the Explorer Edition headsets and a few software updates. As new releases of information are revealed, there’s only positive growth to expect. There are several new exciting details that have come to light:

Originally weighing at 8lbs (3.63kg), further development has allowed Google to design a slimmer, smaller

Yet Google takes it in good stride and tackles issues one after the other with every software update. The hype around the world, both positive and negative, is evidence of the change this new technology will bring to our world.

As to how well Glass stacks up against its end goal and the true impact of the final product, we will only know with time.

Glass. The m o d i f i c a t i o n s preserve the h e a d s e t ’ s functionality, but have reduced the weight of device to that similar to a normal pair of sunglasses. The initial price of $1,500 has been reduced, though as to how much, it’s difficult to discern the truth from the rumors.

It is true that Google set a high standard for itself with the initial presentation and constant promotion of its newest product-to-be, and that there were some blockades in the Explorer Edition.

Courtesy of THEVERGE

Ostracized CEO Steve BallmerTo Leave Microsoft at Critical Juncture

BY IAN KIM

GOOD BYEGOOD RIDDANCE



“There is never a perfect time for this type

of our transformation to a devices and

of transition, but now is the right time. My

services company focused on empowering

original thoughts on timing would have

customers in the activities they value

had my retirement happen in the middle

longer term for this new direction”.

most. We need a CEO who will be here

It is official; Steve Ballmer, after thirty-three years at Microsoft and thirteen years as the head of the company, has announced that he will be retiring from his post as the chief executive officer.

In the coming twelve-month transition period, Ballmer will gradually exit his position while supposedly laying the groundwork for the coming ‘transformation’ and contributing to the headhunting process for a suitable replacement. In light of this news, it seems an apt time to reflect on the legacy Ballmer leaves behind as well as begin asking some fundamental questions about what lies ahead for Microsoft in the post-Ballmer paradigm.

—Steve Ballmer

LEGACY IN SHAMBLESSteve Ballmer, following an illustrious two decades of management success within the ranks of Microsoft, stepped into the shoes of Bill Gates in 2000 as the chief executive; though he would be engaged in a hostile tug-of-war with Gates until the founder completely relinquished day-to-day influence as CSA in 2006. He came into the job knowing very well that the exponential growth and market dominance of the Gates Era would be extremely hard to match. Yet, he could not have foreseen that his time as CEO would turn out

to be such an utter disaster.

It is important, however, to note that the executive’s reign over Microsoft did not begin as one of woes. Ballmer, immediately after ascending to the position of CEO, oversaw the zenith and golden age of Microsoft. Microsoft was the world’s number one software company in the world at that point: its dominance seemed un-threatened. It was in a financial and market position

unrivaled by any potential competitors—so much so that it was even the subject of anti-trust procedures in the early 2000s that all most cleaved the corporation in half.

However, this honeymoon period quickly disintegrated when Microsoft took blow after blow—a process that seems to be continuing to this today. Starting with the bursting of the Dotcom bubble in 2000, which destabilized and decimated the stock value of Microsoft by a substantial margin, a tectonic shift in the technology industry caught the lethargic corporate giant off guard: from the explosive resurgence

of Apple Inc. to the dominance of the mobile platform to the advent of social media and networking platforms. Countless innovations passed under the immediate radar of Microsoft management. This slowness and inability to react or direct progress only exacerbated the company’s inability to ‘keep up’.

Subsequently, his reign over the tech giant has in recent years been the target of scathing criticism. The popular opinion is that his management in general resulted in the wastage of Microsoft’s valuable assets and a failure to stay relevant in a constantly changing marketplace. The fact is the company has not spearheaded any major breakout in the last decade under Ballmer.

“...spectacular failures of Microsoft’s attempt at playing the ‘catch up game”

He has also overseen a string of spectacular failures of Microsoft’s attempts at playing ‘catch up’—including the Zune mp3, which could not compete against Apple’s iPod, and the Windows CE PDA mobile platform which was outmatched by an array of OSs for tablet and smart phone devices. Another major investment that blew

up in Ballmer’s face was the $650 million he decided to hedge on Barnes & Nobles’ Nook which ultimately failed to compete with both the tablet PCs and Amazon Kindle. Beyond devices, Microsoft has seen little success either as demonstrated by the meek success of its supposed Google-killer, Bing search engine, which even with improving search technologies was unable to make a significant in way into any market share—securing a meager 15% of total searches. Finally, all of these failures were only exacerbated by Microsoft’s inability to market effectively towards and connect with consumers—a skill others in the business had perfected.

Ballmer’s attempts at utilizing venture capitalism and large-scale Mergers & Acquisition investments, a supposed alternative to it’s internal lack of creative, have led to the acquisition of start-ups such as Internet advertisement agency aQuantive ($6.3 billion) and Linked-in facsimile Yammer Inc. ($1.2 billion); both of which have delivered disappointing results. Moreover, its hallmark $8.5 billion acquisition of Skype was met with great attention and even anticipation yet its inability to monetize this ‘giant’ acquisition has plagued Microsoft. In sum, the company under Ballmer has failed to utilize it’s vast capital, a $58 billion fund unmatched by any of its competitors, to development. On a related note, Microsoft spent $26 billion in R&D, in comparison to Apple’s relatively smaller $5.5 billion, but has today little to show for it in contrast to Apple which has produced one watershed creative innovation after another—clearly an exemplar of how incompetent Ballmer has been at leveraging Microsoft’s abundant finances and resources.

Besides Ballmer’s history of lackluster ventures and investments, another subject of recent public scrutiny and criticism has been his endorsement and continuation of the controversial and widely criticized Microsoft ‘bell-curve’ internal employee performance review system, which has been cited as deterring cooperation, creativity and innovation. The concept is that employees in each department are ranked by their productivity thereby, inadvertently, marginalizing collaboration, long-term development and risk-taking. This controversy solidified the Ballmer’s image as an incompetent administrator. Many critics have also pointed to this human resources controversy as a symptom of a greater issue with Ballmer’s management style over Microsoft. To explain, Ballmer’s tenure has often been characterized as one under a hot-headed and unequivocal leadership by the way of incidents such as when senior software developer Mark Lucovsky told


Ballmer he would be leaving for a position at Google and the CEO responded by a tirade of expletives and a hurled chair.

A possibly redeeming aspect of the CEO’s tenure is the development of the hit consumer product Xbox game console—a device franchise that has generated more than $60 billion. Ironically, the lack of upper management intervention and planning, coupled with its distinct features divergent from the conventional Microsoft software, is touted as the reasons behind its extraordinary success. Tragically, however, even this lone accomplishment seems to be in danger as the most recent launch of Xbox One faces harsh reviews and public lambaste.

Finally, the most recent ‘flop’ and possibly the greatest on the CEO’s record is the Surface debacle—a business failure some have cited as the nail in the coffin for Ballmer and one that caused his early departure. A product intended to launch the company into the tablet arena as well as to directly compete with Apple’s iPads line-up, the Surface tablet failed to accomplish those goals in spectacular fashion. Microsoft has already announced that it had lost $900 million in the project due to the company’s failure to get the tablets off the shelves and into consumer hands. Ballmer, in his usual understatement, commented in an interview, “we made a few more than we could sell”. By few more he meant millions. The Surface will remain a defining, lost opportunity of major proportions in Ballmer’s legacy.

With such questionable management, Ballmer has naturally become a less than popular figure even amongst his compatriots in Redmond HQ. Ballmer has a standing 46% approval rating among employees; a rate that is half that of Google, Facebook, Twitter, Oracle and a number of other industry peers who were surveyed. Shareholders and the board seem to have little confidence in him either with the Microsoft share value falling 50% in the last decade unadjusted for inflation: a tremendous business failure.

While Ballmer’s Microsoft has dabbled in various areas, the

end product is a company direction-less, spread too thin , and with little to show for it. All this seems to be confirmed by the fact that the day Ballmer announced his retirement plans, Microsoft shares rose 7% in the NASDAQ exchange—maybe the most potent testament to how the business world and public view Ballmer’s leadership.

Steve Ballmer leaves behind a broken legacy—one that can hardly be described as stellar. It is likely that, even with some early success, the moniker ‘Microsoft’s Lost Decade’ will go down in Silicon Valley history as one synonymous with the retiring MS CEO. Unlike Larry Page (Google), Steve Jobs (Apple), Elon Musk (Paypal), Jeff Bezos (Amazon), Mark Zuckerburg (Facebook) and countless others, Ballmer will not be enshrined in the pantheon of iconic or innovative tech-CEOs. Neither does the retiring executive have a forgiving history of philanthropy characteristic of the industry to compensate; it maybe a good idea for him to start.


“With such questionable management, Ballmer has naturally become a less than popular figure even amongst his compatriots in Redmond HQ.”

BALLMER’SMISS LIST AS CEO

BING SEARCH ENGINE

THE NOOK

YAMMER SOCIAL NETWORK

SURFACE RT

THE ZUNE

SKYPE ACQUISITION



BEYOND BALLMER,MICROSOFT AT A

Better marketing and financing already available assets could really revolutionize the impact Microsoft has on all aspect of the techno-sphere and how profitable it is.

What is for certain is that this is a critical moment in Microsoft history, if not the history of the entire industry. Though this time next year Ballmer will no longer occupy the executive office in Redmond, Microsoft is faced with the choice between making this the beginning of the end or the end of the beginning. With a currently liberalizing management structure and the recent acquisition of Nokia’s device and services division, Microsoft is beginning to shape itself into an actual functioning company . It will be interesting to see how Microsoft will fare in the end—if it is to sink, swim or soar once again to reclaim the position it held pre-Ballmer as the undisputed ‘King of Technology’.

“Microsoft’ future, in contrast, seems much less certain and, at this point, much less lucrative in proportion. “

Gloom, doom, and uncertainty is not inevitable

Even with his public image or controversial legacy, Ballmer will exit Microsoft comfortably with a more than healthy net worth of $15.2 billion. Microsoft’s future, in contrast, seems much less certain, and at this point much less lucrative

in proportion.

The company will be left in a battle to maintain 85% of its revenue from software from the likes of Apple and Google as they continue on their paths towards the post-PC era. Microsoft is faced with an array of daunting hurdles before it can achieve its goal of making the transformation from a 20th century titan to a 21st century innovator. The pressure to innovate and ‘strategically move forward’, to actually achieve it’s mantra of becoming a “software and devices company” is at high stakes—a struggle for survival in a hyper-competitive market place that demands both business savvy and creative products.

As for who his successor may be is also unclear as there is no obvious successor standing by, but there are some prospective candidates. Names mentioned include Ballmer aide-de-camp COO Kevin Turner, Netflix CEO Reed Hasting as well as numerous others in Microsoft’s ranks of senior management. However, indisputably, Stephen Elop seems to be the front runner of them all. The Nokia CEO and Microsoft alumnus is positioned as a shoe in for the job, especially so with the recent $7.2 billion acquisition of Nokia’s devices into Microsoft. Yet, there are concerns regarding his lack of experience as CEO and the mediocrity of his time at Nokia. There is no need to hold your breadth if you are wondering about a Gates returns scenario because the definite answer is “no” despite certain media rumors,

Ultimately, however, a committee including founder Bill Gates and the board will be determining, with the consultation of executive recruitment firm Heidrick and Struggles International, who will head up Microsoft for the coming years. Yet, the greater concern for Microsoft may very well not be who leads. No matter who the next CEO is to be, a smooth succession process will be essential and imperative.

Gloom, doom and uncertainty is however not inevitable—there is a potential rebound in the horizon. With the retirement of Ballmer, Microsoft has the resources to pull off a rebound. The company is still replete with deep pockets, software and a growing gamut of devices under its belt.

CROSSROADS

Leap Motion Controller

By Alex Byun

We’ve all seen Iron Man, and we’ve all wished we had the ability to use our computers without actually touching them. Okay, maybe hologram user interfaces still belong in fiction, but in the meantime, we can dabble with Leap Motion. The new technology the Leap Motion Controller boasts is ahead of any other of its kind, and although it is limited in its use, we are getting a glimpse of the future of motion-detecting technology. The Leap Motion Controller uses different means, but it achieves an effect similar to the Xbox Kinect. The breakthrough of the Leap is that it is now bringing the Kinect experience to laptops and desktop computers that allows us to interact with them in a whole new way. It is different from the mouse, click wheel, and touch screen in that it is a touch less device. So what makes the Leap Motion Controller different from a lot of the other new technological advancements we always hear about on the news? It is out for the public. In fact, you can order one right now. It is available for Windows and Mac users for $80, and developers are already releasing applications on the Airspace Store that take advantage of Leap Motion technology.

A lot of people are going to think about the Xbox Kinect when dealing with the Leap Motion Controller. On the superficial level, this is completely understandable, but the the two are actually quite different. Firstly, unlike the Kinect which is placed in front your hands, the Leap Motion Controller is placed under. It is also much smaller than the Kinect sensor with a length of three inches and a width of just an inch. The size and placement make it convenient to use, as it does not interfere with the mouse or keyboard. Leap Motion is also the most capable motion sensor to date. The controller does not use depth to capture motion, but cameras instead. Users can move all ten fingers, and the Leap Motion Controller will track the motion with incredible accuracy and speed. The device divides the detectable area into two zones. One is the hover zone and one is the touch zone, the hover zone is the area that is closer to the user. The technology of the Leap Motion Controller is advanced and we may see future motion sensors using similar methods of capturing motion.

What really makes the Leap Motion Controller excellent is the software that works with the technology. What good is motion detection if there is nothing we can apply it to? Thankfully,


Leap owners have 75 apps that they can be purchased on the Airspace Store, and these apps really demonstrate the accuracy and speed of the Leap’s motion tracking. One of the apps in the store, Corel Painter Freestyle, is a painting app, which Engadget writer Michael Gorman praised as a “genuinely impressive experience.”

As mentioned, the Leap Motion Controller’s speed and accuracy of tracking is next-level. Users, however, have reported frustration with the experience with the device because it is quite unpredictable. The Leap is accurate in that it displays the motion of your fingers well, but a problem is that it tends to make false detections. For example, Michael Gorman mentioned that the thumb would be interpreted as a finger. Lee Hutchinson of Ars Technica said that “the experience is 50 percent fluid intuition and 50 percent screaming frustration.” The hand gestures would work very naturally, then suddenly the device would stop interpreting them correctly. The Leap Motion Controller is an example of a product that is great when it works, but is, after all, new technology.

Most websites said that the Leap is not really worth the $80 and that it really is not a revolutionary product. As Ars Technica’s Lee Hutchinson said, it is “cool–extremely cool. It’s not yet a game-changing device, but it could be.” Engadget expressed the same idea, saying that “the Leap Motion

Controller is more about potential than anything else.” This is a valid point because the Leap shows us what we might need and be able to do with motion detection technology. It has not proven that it is necessary, but it definitely is a path that we may choose as the future unfolds. The Guardian’s Jonathan Hyde was one critic who was relatively enthusiastic about what the Leap Motion Controller will offer us in the coming years: “In the long term I believe this is the beginning of useful gesture control of computers. I do personally very much hope they succeed.”

As for me personally, I do not know what to say about Leap Motion because I have never used it. As a young student who is interested in new technology, I can see myself spending hours experimenting with the device and maybe even enjoying my time with it. On the other hand, I can also envision myself frustrated with its shortcomings. I believe the biggest problem with the Leap Motion Controller is not the technical disappointments but the lack of utility. When will we ever need to use hand motions to interact with computers? The Jenga app, for example, made me think about how we can use the Leap to design three dimensional objects and environments. It would be easier to use the hands than to drag parts with the mouse. At the moment the use of the Leap Motion Controller is limited because we have not come up with ways to use it to its maximum potential, but Leap may prove itself revolutionary, if and when we do.



5S vs. 5CSuperior vs. cheap?

ARE YOU READY TOIN THE RAINBOW CORNER, THE iPhone 5C

IN THE SERIOUS CORNER, THE iPhone 5SRUMBLE?!In a move that made history for the tech giant, Apple released two new products on September 10th: the iPhone 5S and 5C. Similar to last year’s 4S, the 5S is a new and improved version of the previous iPhone. Coming in gold, silver and metallic black, the 5S is already attempting to make a different than all previous line ups of the iPhones with choices in color.

The iPhone 5C, in contrast, is Apple’s attempt at breaking into the rapidly growing Chinese market. Many people believe that the C stands for China or “cheap” as it is in comparison to prior iPhones. They have tried to penetrate the largest growing market in previous years by selling older models but these attempts have proved unsuccessful. In overview, 5C is perfect for consumers in the Chinese market. Apple has cross-examined products that have been successful in China and emulated many different aspects in their new phone. The price is the foremost thing.

The iPhone 5C is selling for $99, the lowest price Apple has ever given to a brand new device. Although this may seem extremely cheap for an iPhone, it does come with a mandatory 2-year contract with a carrier. Without a contract the iPhone 5C will have a starting price of . This means that if you want to own the phone forever, you will have to pay around $550, which is actually more expensive than the starting price of the 5S.

One aspect of the 5C that will resonate well with Chinese consumers is the colourful design. Coming in almost all the colours of the rainbow, the iPhone 5C will also have

compatible cases released by Apple. This is the first time Apple have sold their own official cases.

With the new releases comes the brand new iOS 7 operating system Apple is getting rid of their textured theme, and replacing it with a completley flat reddesigned user interface, spear headed by Apple’s Jony Ive. Unfortunately, true to Apple standards the iPhone 5C will continue a bad habit that

“It’s the technology from the iPhone 5 stuffed into a plastic shell”—Time’s take on the 5C

By Ashton LeCornu


Apple is infamous for—using old hardware in new devices. The A6 chip used in the iPhone 5 will be used again in the 5C. Although not as bad as previous releases where the new iPod was given the old operating system instead of the updated version. It was, in the case of the iPod, an obvious money grab technique. However because the iPhone 5C is so cheap it is excusable.

The more “dignified” iPhone, the 5S, is promising some serious advances in the world of smartphones. The 5S has been portrayed as “classy” in advertising from apple and it certainly is a lot more serious than the plastic rainbow colours of the 5C.With its redesigned interface and outer casing the 5S is also the most technologically advanced iPhone available. It comes equipped with the new A7 operating system (iPhone 5 was A6) and M7 motion coprocessor, the most advanced technology in available smart phones.

The metal casing on the iPhone 5S is impressive and gives the phone a solid, strong appearance. Interestingly however, drop tests determined that the 5C and 5S were more fragile than the original iPhone 5.

One of the only publicity issues with the two new phones is the fingerprint scanner that is built in. With all the Snowden and NSA scandals in the news lately, many people are worried that the fingerprint scanner could be used against iPhone owners. And, it very well could be that having a fingerprint assigned to every iPhone owner essentially allows the NSA access to the fingerprints of millions. It is argued that this is a breach of privacy but the US government already has fingerprint of millions of its citizens. The fingerprints would also be used to prevent and solve crimes. The main issue is whether or not the NSA would have access to iPhone owners in different countries. Because Apple is an American company it is quite possible. Perhaps Snowden’s next leak about the capabilities of the NSA will reveal the answer.

The 5S and 5C are both impressive and show off Apple’s new business philosophy. However it is disappointing to see a lack of the innovation Apple became famous for. The new phone put up an impressive competition against Apple’s rival, Android, but unfortunately they offer no groundbreaking capabilities and surprise as many Apple fans expected. It seems the days of Apple innovation is over. Hopefully the iPhone 6 brings the company back to what it’s famous for.

SPEC SHEETiPhone 5S

iPhone 5C

Colors— Silver, Space Gray, Gold

Colors—White, Pink, Yellow, Blue

Processors— A7 chip with 64-bit architecture

GreenProcessors— A6

Security—Fingerprint Identity Sensor

Security—none

Camera—8MP, 1080p at 30FPS, 720p at 120FPS

Camera—8MP, 1080p at 30FPS, 720p at 30FPS

Talk time: Up to 10 hours on 3G

Talk time: Up to 10 hours on 3G

Body: Poly Carbonate (Plastic)

Body: Aluminum Uni-Body


The Tech Crewsaders PostGoogle’s ‘Block Party’By Alex Byun

Stupid TV Gets SmartBy Nathan Cheung

If you are an owner of a Windows-based Phone, the chances of that being quite slim, sadly for now you must tediously use the under-par Internet Explorer app to access YouTube. In contrast, fortunate iPhone users are blessed with the YouTube app that was specifically designed to make the world’s favorite video portal easily accessible and hassle free. This is especially unfortunate since Windows Phone users were told that they would not be in such a position back in May and then again in August. Nonetheless, Google’s repeated decisions have chosen to block such developments from materializing.

To explain, in May, Google halted Microsoft’s first attempt at giving its users a mobile YouTube application on the basis that Microsoft did not support Google’s advertisements on YouTube videos. So, Microsoft responded by going back to the drawing boards with Google supervision to make things right the second time round for a release in August by making sure that

the app satisfied Google’s desire for its advertisements to be properly played, and for two days of its beta release it seemed as if the Windows Phone users had received an early Christmas present. In an unexpected move, however, Google took down the app yet again. Windows users were now back again with a YouTube-less device--the why remaining uncertain.

There may be some explanations, to why Microsoft is once again in Google’s ‘block party’. YouTube’s statement laid down the argument that Microsoft did not make the “browser upgrades necessary” and that the app “violated YouTube’s Terms of Service.” Yet, at the same time, some sources are saying that Microsoft simply tweaked their first blocked app from back in May to make ads “properly” appear again, but this did not make Google too happy because they were unsure whether their “prime ads” would show properly when the app

>>>>Continue on Page 36

In July 2013, Google introduced a way to turn an average TV into an innovative smart interface experience for just $35. The new Google Chromecast dongle functions as a device that allows you to stream services like YouTube and Netflix from your wireless device onto your television with a simple click of a button. The Chromecast is HDMI-CEC compatible, and uses a 2.4GHz 801.11 b/g/n WiFi. Of course, devices with almost identical capabilities have been produced before, but the Chromecast’s small size of 3X3 inches and cheap price make it the most appealing and for the first time viable choice for the average buyer. Additionally, Google’s connections with multiple leading content providers and developers allows Chromecast’s technology to facilitate a greater surfeit of applications. In a marketplace where smart TVs cost a small fortune, the Chromecast is a true game changer for consumers and the industry alike.


Failure of Microsoft Windows RTBy Yong Choi

Mark Zuckerberg HackedBy Patrick Hahn

Last June during a press conference in California, Microsoft announced a new product: the Surface RT. During the conference, CEO Steve Ballmer unveiled the Surface, a tablet meant to rival the iPad. The Surface is actually equipped with functions that are not available even in comparison with the iPad: a connected kickstand. Looking at past products, the Surface RT is the first computing device made by Microsoft since the hit-consumer release of the Xbox. The response to this release was spectacular. The buzz on the internet was unprecedented and critics were also doling out positive reviews. It was the first time in history that Microsoft had created a public rage on a computing device besides a gaming console as previously mentioned. The Surface actually seemed like a product comparable to those of other companies such as Apple and Samsung and one that had the potential to be commercially dominating.

So how is it that the Surface flopped? Many reasons can be cited. Firstly, the product launch was a complete failure. Microsoft did not announce the price of the tablet or the release

date. They announced the product four whole months before commercial release. By the time it was available to consumers, the fervor had died down. The second reason is price. Microsoft had announced the price tag at $699 for 64 GB in order to rival Apple’s iPad. However, many consumers were dissatisfied having expected prices in the $300-400 range. The new Surface RT only support apps from Microsoft’s meager app store. Moreover, Microsoft also decided to sell the tablets exclusively in Microsoft stores and exclusive online stores, adding up to a meager 20 stores worldwide.

Unorganized marketing coupled with unwise product engineering led to the downfall of the Surface. Tragically, Microsoft succeeded in grabbing people’s attention, but failed to grasp it, harness it, and follow up on it--just another failure in a string of them Ballmer’s Microsoft cannot afford.

What once began as a college student’s pet project turned social network titan--has always been a patron of ‘white hacking’ and user reporting. People who found bugs within Facebook were known to be rewarded, usually exceeding hundreds of dollars. This is actually an ingenious system as these bugs and flaws could be exploited and sold to the black market if there was no immediate profit alternative by reporting it to Facebook. Yet, a recent incident seems to illustrate that Facebook has started to turn its back on the little guys who come in good will?

In August, a Palestinian security specialist named Khalil Shreateh

found a bug that allowed a person post on other people’s walls without being friends with them. A fatal flaw like this should have been deemed worthy of serious review and monetary reward, but it was instead ignored and he was told that “this was not a bug”. Unabated by this such stonewalling, Khalid instead posted a message on the wall of the creator himself: Mark Zuckerberg. It read: “Sorry for breaking your privacy ... but a couple of days ago, I found a serious Facebook exploit”. It continued on to explain how Facebook had ignored him. Following this noble ‘prank’, Shreateh was contacted by a Facebook engineer for more details on this bug then was temporarily suspended from Facebook.

Even though this bug was ultimately

accepted by Facebook, Shreateh was not rewarded for his efforts as he, according to Facebook, violated the terms of service by hacking Zuckerberg’s account. However, some people have stood by Shreateh’s hacking by arguing that if Facebook’s security team had taken him seriously the first two times, there would have been no need to hack Zuckerberg in the first place. However, the question by far is ultimately up for greater public debate.


Snapchat LawsuitBy William TomHon

The concept of SnapChat, a now 800 million dollar app, was created by the two college roommates, Evan Spiegel and Frank “Reggie” Brown IV, at Stanford University. In order to bring this into life, Spiegel hired programmer Bobby Murphy to help write the code and assemble the app. Together, they created an app that would be downloaded on nearly 19% of all iPhones and used by 8 million daily users.

In light of this, a recent controversy has started up around the question: who owns the right to the app? Well, when the patent papers were filed, Spiegel and Murphy split the profits and shares 60-40, cutting Brown out. However, does the idea guy, Brown, deserve a share of the pie? The surprising technical answer is no, despite the common belief that companies are built on ideas. The standing legal frameworks in the US, in contrast to the ‘ideas’ perspective, allocated patent ownership to hard, grueling, carpal-tunnel-creating labor that builds ventures like Snapchat; a belief shared by Spiegel and Murphy. So in this context, Brown, Spiegel, and Murphy

all agree that Brown contributed three things to the company: first, the idea that the picture would be deleted, leaving the taker in control; second, he envisioned the logo for the company; and third, he filed for the patent. According to the agreed consensus, other than that, Brown apparently contributed very little if anything to the company. There is a deeper legal basis for this as well. To explain, in an alternate perspective, what would have happened if the company failed? What would he have lost? Nothing. Spiegel and Murphy would have lost over a year of their work and a significant amount of start-up capital. Brown only started asking for money and filed a lawsuit after the company started making headway. Was he being respectful to his friends by not taking away money that they might never gain, if he sued before the company made any money, or did he have cold feet and hesitant to invest his time and money until the company was well off the ground? Even if it is the latter, he might still deserve some credit. Whether he will is still yet to be decided and a concern for the legal storm on the horizon.

was lacking the new web standard of HTML5. In return, Microsoft’s rebuttal was that they did not see the need to use HTML5 concurrently with both the Android and iOS. Yet Google stood firm and said that Microsoft was still ignoring its terms and conditions by not using HTML5. As such, with frustration, Microsoft then called upon Google’s requests as “roadblocks that are impossible to overcome.” According to Microsoft, Google had not at provided all of the necessary information for a proper advertisement system in the first place.

Whatever the case is, Windows Phone users are going to have to sit tight and wait it out for a finalized YouTube app on their Windows Devices--when that is to occur again very uncertain. It may or may not be a long wait, but what we do know is that Microsoft is “working with [Google] to resolve the issue,” which, unsurprisingly, is not a very reassuring statement. Yet, this inconvenience may very well be just the tip of the iceberg to the dysfunction that seems to curse the Microsoft devices franchise.

Google’s ‘Block Party’>>>>Continued

Blackberry Anyone?By Kathleen LeeBlackberry, a one-time leader in the smartphone industry, is up for sale after years of declining sales and failed revamps. The company’s position is that it is undergoing this switch in ownership in order to try to “enhance value and increase scale in order to accelerate the deployment of BlackBerry 10 .” Now, this new BlackBerry 10 OS which is supposedly the driving force for the sale has a terrific layout and world-class features incorporated, but few consumers will probably be convinced to choose this innovation over the iPhone and Android. Indeed,


Windows 8.1 is On its WayBy Justin Kae

the Blackberry brand has been steadily losing loyal customers and market share over the past few years. According to the IDC, BlackBerry’s worldwide smartphone market share in the second quarter was 2.9 %, a great decline compared with the 4.9 percent in 2012. So how did the BlackBerry end up in such a dire position? The first BlackBerry released in 1999 was strongly for business customers. It was an email pager that revolutionized business communications. The company soon upgraded its features by the way of the BlackBerry Curve, Pearl, and Bold, which all incorporated cameras and several other forward thinking features. The promising future abruptly halted, however, when the iPhone was announced in 2007. Apple’s Steve Jobs reinforced the media devices, incorporating high powered mobile networks, music and games into the smartphone. Not only that, Google joined the mobile market with the Android operating system, which pushed BlackBerry further behind in the market. Smartphones these days are more about music, photos and video than they are about email--a vehicle already pushed to the obsolete by SNS services. Blackberry, however, has been too stubborn, like other dying operations such as Nokia and Sony-Ericsson, about restructuring the business-oriented devices philosophy into something more Generation Y friendly. Finally, by the way of the sale, the company is considering strategic alternatives to compete in the market. Whatever the transition may be BlackBerry needs to move quickly.

On October 18th, Windows 8.1 will be ready for download. Windows 8.1 is the first major update since Window 8’s release on October 26th, 2012. With the new OS update comes new features such as the ability to additionally customize the start screen and countless default Application updates. The new update is expected to improve the widely criticized Windows 8.

Surprisingly, Microsoft has taken suggestions for its latest operating system seriously as reflected by its accommodation of a more customizable interface. To expand, there are far more customizable features on the Start Screen of Windows 8.1 than in its predecessors. By just holding them down, you are now able to readjust tile sizes and move around tiles to organize your cluttered screen. Another feature is the ability to set images as your start screen background picture which gives a more soothing and refined feel to the interface. Also, transitioning from Desktop mode to “Metro” is definitely smoother and there are now options to boot applications to desktop from the start screen instead of opening them in full screen. The Start button makes a return, which resolves the numerous usability complaints about Windows 8. Now, you can just right click the button to shutdown, restart, or set your computer to sleep/hibernate. Hot

corners have also been given the ability to be disabled, giving people the option to disregard “Metro” completely without the use of third party applications.

Many of Windows 8’s default applications are being vamped including Internet Explorer (IE),and Microsoft Office. Internet Explorer 11 has been announced and with it comes some changes from Internet Explorer 10, the original Windows 8 Web browser. Though the interface looks extremely similar to its predecessor, there are some changes such as the tab bar being moved to the bottom of the screen, and tab syncability with mobile devices though the Metro and Desktop IEs tabs are not linked yet. On the other hand, due to the fact that the new Microsoft Office is still in early development, Microsoft only previewed the new PowerPoint in a recent presentation, Microsoft has stated that the new Microsoft Office should be ready to be released by the release of Windows 8.1.

The new Windows 8.1 seems to be an improvement from its predecessor even though there is still much time left till release date. Its brand-new customization properties and revamped applications will definitely be looked forward to in the next couple months until its release.


ColophonScreen shots of copyrighted computer software, and the copyright for its contents is most likely held by the author(s) or the company that created the software. It is believed that the use is for identification of, and critical commentary on, the software in question qualifies as fair use under copyright law.

Image Sources for “PRISM” (p4)

Beale, Scott. Microsoft Headquarters. N.d. Photograph. Redmond, WA. Flickr. Web.

Boudon, Rob. 1 Infinite Loop Panorama. N.d. Photograph. Palo Alto. Flickr. Web.

Edward Snowden Portrait. 2013. Photograph. Hong Kong. Digi Trends. By Andrew Couts. Web.

Facebook Headquarters. 2013. Photograph. Menlo Park, CA. FOX43. By Matt Bushey. 28 Jan. 2013. Web.

Fox, Hillary. Facebook Headquarters Office Floor. 2013. Photograph. Menlo Park, CA. Hillary Fox | International Travel Photographer. 30 Mar. 2013. Web.

Google New York Office. N.d. Photograph. New York. Huffington Post. By Braden Goyette. 13 Aug. 2013. Web.

Keith B. Alexander Official Portrait. 2010. Photograph. Wikimedia Commons. Wikimedia Commons. 27 May 2010. Web.

NSA Arial View. N.d. Photograph. Fort Mead. Photo Gallery—NSA/CSS. Web.

World City-to-City Connections. 2007. Photograph. Chris Harrison | Internet Maps. By Chris Harrison. Web.

Image Sources for “Reflecting on Glass” (p18)

Allegri, Carlo. Google Founder Sergey Brin Poses for a Portrait Wearing Google Glass Glasses before the Diane Von Furstenberg Spring/Summer 2013 Collection Show during New York Fashion Week. 2012. Photograph. FCC Filings Uncloak Google Glass. 9TO5 Google, 31 Jan. 2013. Web.

Reuters. Google Glass. N.d. Photograph. Google Glass Specs, Price, Reviews. Design & Trends, 19 June 2013. Web.

Shaw, Gillian. Google Glass Bradley. 2013. Photograph. Vancouver. Google Glass Bradley. The Vancouver Sun, 17 May 2013. Web.

Zambelich, Ariel. Google Glass. 2013. Photograph. At Google I/O, Glass and Android Get All the Love, If Not All the Money. Wired, 20 May 2013. Web.

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Ballmer Pointing. 2013. Photograph. Inside Steve Ballmer’s Inbox. PC Pro, 03 Jan. 13. Web.

Microsoft and Skype. N.d. Photograph. Report: Skype Formed Secret “Project Chess” to Make Chats Available to Government. Slate. Web. 20 June 2013.

Steve Ballmer and Surface RT. N.d. Photograph. Microsofts Surface RT Mistake Was Still the Right Decision. Business Insider, 20 July 2013. Web.

Tew, Sarah. Nook Video Store. N.d. Photograph. Barnes & Noble Adds Google Play Store to Its Tablets. CNET, 2 May 2013. Web.

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Hands on Controller. N.d. Photograph. Leap Motion Pre-Order. By Guillaume Lauzier. VJs Mag. Web.

Leap Motion Controller. 2013. Photograph. Leap Motion Controller Ships with Airspace Appstore May 13th for Pre-orders, at Best Buy on 19th. By Matthew Panzarino. The Next Web, 27 Feb. 2013. Web.

Leap Motion Screen Shot. N.d. Photograph. Leap Motion Controller Ships with Airspace Appstore May 13th for Pre-orders, at Best Buy on 19th. By Matthew Panzarino. The Next Web, 27 Feb. 2013. Web.

Maizlin, Nick. Leap Motion Controller. 2013. Photograph. Leap Motion Collaborating with HP for Certain Devices. Techtainian, 17 Apr. 2013. Web.

Steeber, Michael. Airspace Home. 2013. Photograph. Review: Leap Motion Is a Fascinating, Yet Flawed Look into the Future of Computing. 9to5mac, 31 July 2013. Web.

Visnjic, Filip. Oscillo Scoop with Leap Motion Controller. 2013. Photograph. 10 Most Exciting New Experiments with Leap Motion. Creative Applications Network. Web.

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Google Chrome Cast. 2013. Photograph. A Daringly Priced Streamer That Doesn’t Do Much. By Matthew Moskovciak. CNET, 25 July 2013. Web.

Google Chromecast. 2013. Photograph. At $35, the Google Chromecast Multimedia Dongle Is a No-brainer. By Quentyn Kennemer. Phandroid, 24 July 2013. Web.

KVN, Rohit. Ballmer and Surface. 2013. Photograph. Microsoft’s All New ‘Surface Pro Tablet’ to Hit Retail Stores on Feb 9. International Business Times, 24 Jan. 2013. Web.


Message Screenshot. N.d. Photograph. Los Angeles. Snapchat Lawsuit Photos Texts and Emails. By Jim Edwards. Business Insider, 11 Aug. 2013. Web.

Notes of Brown Spiegel. N.d. Photograph. Los Angeles. Snapchat Lawsuit Photos Texts and Emails. By Jim Edwards. Business Insider, 11 Aug. 2013. Web.

Snapchat’s Patent Diagram. N.d. Photograph. Los Angeles. Snapchat Lawsuit Photos Texts and Emails. By Jim Edwards. Business Insider, 11 Aug. 2013. Web.

YouTube on Windows Phone. 2013. Photograph. By Miron Nurski. Komorko Mania, 14 Aug. 2013. Web.

Tech Crewsaders PublicationsEDITOR IN CHIEF

Dhira Web Khewsubtrakool

EXECUTIVE EDITOR OF DESIGN

Seongwoo Choi

EXECUTIVE EDITOR OF CONTENT

Patrick TomHon

SENIOR EDITORS & WRITERS

James Yuh and Lillian Sheng

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS

Ian Kim, Hye Joon Lee, Ashton LeCornu, Stian Mikalsen

EDITOR OF THE POST

Alex Byun

WRITERS

Albert Kim, Alexander de Bruin, James Whong, Justin Kae, Kathleen Lee, Nathan Cheung, Patrick Hahn, Sabrina Sung, William Paek, William TomHon, Yong Choi

Members of the Tech Crewsaders

Adlai Abdelrazaq, Aidan Dobson, Alexander Sohn, Andrew Kim, Andrey Ten, Anno Chang, Brian Lee, Callum McEachen, Chris Kim, Elliot Shin, Floruen Tu, Hannah Cho , Hyunna Yoo, Jackie Bharwaney, Jinwook Lee, Lucas Hong, Michael Mussel, Samuel Kim, Seungwoo Paik, Won Hee Cho

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