Connecting the Dot's-The Body

“So from diets to diabetes, connected devices will help you manage your health and create a digital doctor at your finger tips.”

This is the last line of the article about connecting the dots with social media and the human body. The Article talked about apps and gadgets like MealSnap and Bodybugg, aimed to help people with their health. I began to recall an article I read from 2012 regarding a tattoo artist who surgically attached an iPod Nano to his arm. Surgical placing magnets under his skin he is able to remove the iPod at will. Affectively, he created the first smart watch - if only he had waited two years he would not have had to undergo surgery to get the nifty gadget. 

The funny thing about research is it can take you places you never thought possible. At the bottom of an article about the tattoo artist our group read about Nokia applying for a patent for a vibrating tattoo.

Sept. 13, 2011, Nokia (the creators of that good old brick cell phone) filed for a patent for a vibrating tattoo. July 1, 2014 record that the patent was granted.

The idea behind the patent is that we can get a tattoo that can vibrate when we get a phone call, text message, email and/or other basic phone functions - providing different vibration patterns for each. The tattoo and can communicate with a phone in your pocket or potentially one in remote location(s). Tattoos could be applied anywhere, but the sketches show it on the hand, abdomen and a figure nail. (Technology really is at our figure tips now.) 

Click to Read the Patent

This invention can connect us in so many ways with a simple tattoo. I could potentially check into Foursquare, Tinder or any other location service without ever touching my phone. It could start vibrating when I am near someone I know; or maybe set it to continue to vibrate until I start my work-out - connecting it to my Nike+ app for a nice little slap in the hand to help me stay in shape.  

These devices could also do so much more by possibly notifying you when your blood sugar is low or blood presser is high or monitor one’s heart rate. It could become the newest thing in human and computer interaction.

This device is coming soon to a body near you….

I have reached out to Nokia to see what the status of the project is. If I get a response I will post it.

Facebook personas, page description and Facebook Plan

https://facebook.com/JoshuaKmusic

Personas:

Bell is 65, retired and enjoys having people over for open houses and gatherings. She is always looking for background music to play during parties. Bell uses social media to keep up with the grandkids and to pass along political propaganda supporting her political view points.

Allen is 45, a small business owner who spends many hours at a computer doing payroll and other mundane tasks; trying to doing much of the business leg work himself as well. During the long hours sitting at his computer, Allen likes to play background music to keep him going. He is not the very active on social media but does follow a few people who have some of his same interests.

Mrs. Jay is a 24 year old school teacher. She is teaching music at an inner city school. She struggles to find composers that her students can relate too, yet provide a positive learning experience through classical level musicians. Unlike the celebrities of "pop" music - her students' preferred listening choice -she is always trying to find a composer who is cool enough to keep their attention, but keep the integrity of a classically trained musician.

Facebook description:
Short:
Self described as a Mark Camphouse on caffeine, Joshua K Laney writes music that allows people to enjoy the moment.

Long description:
Self described as a Mark Camphouse on caffeine, Joshua K Laney writes music that allows people to slow down and enjoy the moment. Joshua K's mix of classical, pop, and jazz creates an easy listening sound that's amplified by his unique and distinct style.

How I plan to engage my audience

My plans to keep my Facebook audience engaged are to give them a feeling of control while they are on my page; asking a lot of questions about each piece, identifying their likes and dislikes. Currently, a small group is asking for a CD of my 30 days. If I chose to make a CD, I plan to first ask the audience to select their favorite 15 or so pieces they feel I should include on this first CD. I will need to revisit each piece and clean each song up - fix some of the mistakes due to the improvisation - before producing a CD.

I will plan to ask for creative input and allow my “fans” to inspire the composing of a song. I may ask for a few notes, a style or an idea/word and create a piece using their suggestions. 

I wrote a piece after we talked about France verses Nigeria in class; I am curious if the emotion I feel and placed onto the keys of the piano will resonate the same with listeners. I may post pieces and ask questions like: What would you title that? What emotion do you feel? If/when major events happen I may try to write a piece than as well.

After the 30 day project is done I will upload a video of how I did it - sitting down at the piano and demonstrating that I play whatever comes to mind. I will explain that normally in a project of this nature, this is done first but I never anticipated the reaction I received, making me slightly ill prepared.  

I have never done a self-promotion page before so I will try a little of everything. If something works, I may stick to that - no need to reinvent the wheel.  Since this is a self-promotion page a few selfies may be in order but I will not take or post the typical selfie; instead showing me in the act of composing, with papers everywhere, hair messed up - much like the cover photo on the page. Each selfie will be for artistic flare rather than just a snap-shot.

Finally, I intend to also use other people’s photos on my page. I am in the process of gathering photos from photographers and will write music based on what is seen in each photograph.  I have the first photographer lined up and am excited about where it will take each composition. I am sure I will want to do more of this kind of collaborating, so if you have a photo that you want set to music, let me know.

Confused?

As we talked about the attacks in France and Nigeria and why France received an abundance of coverage while we heard virtually nothing about Nigeria, I felt the answer could be simple. Using the six points of interest discussed in our Writing for Media Class, our answer can be found. Review the points of interest in a story:

1. Impact - how many people affected  

2. Conflict

3. Novelty

4. Prominence

5. Proximity 

6. Timeliness

The story in France had more novelty, prominence, proximity (as a bird flies from Paris to SGU is about 5335 miles while 7393 miles from SGU to Lagos) and timeliness. This left the Nigerian story having more impact, and conflict. From a pure mathematical stand point the attack in France would win out in an oversaturated news media world; yet this formulation does not do either tragic event justice. I began to think about what other reasons our media would care more about France than Nigeria. 

Overall, Americans seem to typify more toward the French - after all they gave us the Statue of Liberty. I am also guessing that more people from the US have visited France rather than the poverty stricken Nigeria, possibly causing many Americans to feel more connected. Because I have a friend who has lived in Nigeria I understand feeling connected and influenced by a culture - always seeking information and knowledge about a place to stay connected. When my friend was in Nigeria I kept up on Nigerian news regularly and could tell you many happenings in the country. When my friend returned home, I quit following the Nigerian news. The first I heard about this bombing was in class and the blog. In my case, connection played a huge roll.

It is also quite possible that the aide of available technology was a key factor. France has more people carrying smartphones than they do in Nigeria; which certainly helped spread the news more quickly around the world.  

These reasons alone could satisfy my thoughts about the topic. But what I heard in the radio broadcast shocked. The Nigerian bombings were not even news in Nigeria?!

I don’t understand this at all. Americans tend to be more self-focused these days. In the United States the word of the year over the past two years were “selfie” (2013) and “vape” (2014). Both words come from people trying to gain pleasure, attempting to focus as much recognition on “self” and “pleasure” as possible. When we factor in our “words of the year,” it’s no wonder the US only pays attention to a select, few news stories. Our mentality is if it’s not about me, it’s not important. 

How can something so horrific not even be news in your own country? The only reason I can could think of is that the attacks lacked novelty. Has Nigeria become a culture that is numb to the awful truths of terrorism? No. There are some things in life that people just cannot grow numb to. The broadcast left me confused. Has “western” news gone so far as to dominate every story even in non-western countries?

Social Networking and Stabilization

The greatest way social media has changed the world is perhaps the most obvious. After all it was/is Zuckerberg’s goal to create a more connected world. With the popularity of social media we have become more connected in more ways than one.

The video we watched in class explained, while the world population is growing the “traditional” separations are dissolving. As I watch the NFC championship game, I am reminded of social media’s ability to connect us - watching the game and my Twitter feed with equal fervor.  During the World Cup I recall watching USA verses Germany.  Although I was able to watch the game from my couch, I was also able to use social media to connect with fans from both teams.  I remember getting into some friendly banter with a fan across the pond over whose Goal Keeper was better (the USA goal keeper, Tim Howard is probably the only “world class player” we have); yet I was able express my opinion from my home to another fan somewhere across the Atlantic Ocean.

This is a simple example shows how social media changes the world; making us more connected. 

Geography no longer dictates who we corresponded with. 

It is exciting that from the comfort of my own living room I can talk to anyone in the world; making the revelation that we are only three degrees (three people) away from anyone is also scary. Understanding how small the world has become - as radical ideologues take hold rabidly across all sides of the spectrum - from the comfort of my own couch because I am only three people away from anyone, is also sobering.  The saying, “With great power comes great responsibility;” making the ability to connect with virtually anyone in the world creates ramifications no one thought possible only ten years ago.

Social media has shaped the world bay making us more connected to ideas, beliefs and trends of others that can go viral and connect or change the world.

The Ice-bucket challenge is a great example. Whether you agreed with it or not - it connected the world - as seemingly, everyone dumped a bucket of ice over their heads. (I watched as friends from all over the world participated.). Planking and Tebowing are other trends that have united the world - as we lied down or took a knee in all kinds of places.

Unfortunately the trends that shape the world are not always light hearted. ISIS and the Twitter trends we saw during the recent attacks in France divided the world; as everyone is weighing from all sides, sparking conversation or - in the case of ISIS - people taking up arms and leaving their home countries to fight for either side.

The power to communicate and share ideas with everyone will unite or divided the world. Which one? Only time will tell.

Started for DSU New Social Media Class.
Link to Page
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Joshua-K-Laney/784153838347283