Skinput

The idea of being able to use your arm as a touch screen for your phone or ipod is an intriguing idea. But I wonder how much use it can really have. The article on BBC News "Sensors Turn Skin into Gadget Control Pad" explains how the arm's skin can work as an input system, and the possible future uses for it. There is even a video to demonstrate it.

Although Skinput seems like an interesting innovation, I'm not sure I understand how useful it is. It requires a small projector for the display, and all I can think of is how is that more convenient than pulling the actual phone or ipod out of your pocket to change the song. It may feel more interactive to the user, but seems a little pointless. I think that the idea can be developed into more useful gadgets and should be pursued, but in the way that Mr. Harrison describes it possibly being used, it does not seem worth the investment to me.

Epolitics

How can something so simple as a blog completely change the outcome of elections and the directions that politics take?

When thinking about it, all a blog is is the expression of a person's views, opinions, and analysis', which is viewable by many people. What really makes it so different from years before blogs were around? The difference seems to be in the fact that it's not just journalists and news reporters who can influence larger groups of people, but now any common person can reach the computers of others and get their opinion read and possibly shared. As we've seen, blogging has created movements and has even taken candidates out of electoral races.

There are blogs for both left and right wing's, such as Little Green Footballs and the Daily Kos. Both stay updated and constantly comment on recent news and events. Being online, these blogs are easily accessed and shared between people.