WEEK 3 [19-25.04.2021] Privacy in current world - face surveillance

What is privacy and why its so important ? 

Privacy is a fundamental human right, right to be alone. In current world with so many mobile devices around us privacy is something we should care a lot. 

There are many things behind privacy, if you have a fence in your house - its kind of privacy, if you put window curtain to not allow people from street look what you do inside your house - its privacy. Protecting your passwords, all limitation you set up on Facebook/Instagram - its your privacy. There is no strict definition of privacy, it can be a bit different for each of us but for all of us it should be something really important.

https://android.com.pl/images/user-images/pewek/2016/03/prywatnosc-facebook-android-internet-dane-nsa-fbi.jpg.webp

Is there any way we can feel ''free & not watched''?

Right now almost all devices we use collect data. Whenever you search for something in internet, within next 2 minutes you will find Facebook proposing you advertisement of product you searched for. Whenever you pay via your credit card your localization will be saved. Whenever you go with your phone, you can be easily localized.

But there is simple way to become free and not watched. Only thing you need to do is log off from all social media, leave your phone at home, use cash instead of credit card. Doing this you  can be almost 100% sure that you are free of watchers and no data can be collected. You can go to whatever place you want and do whatever you wants - of course only legal things :) - and feel anonymous until someone spots you and make you photo but on this we don't have any impact.

https://inteng-storage.s3.amazonaws.com/img/iea/r1OrkV04Gn/sizes/how-urban-surveillance-and-face-recognition-algorithms-track-covid-19_resize_md.jpg

Face surveillance.

Is a technology that allows authorities to track us in every moment of our life. Even if you do steps mentioned above to become extend your privacy with face surveillance you will not be able to be free and anonymous.  

As its mentioned in this video such technology might be very dangerous for world. If such solution will be more common our freedom will for me personally drop to the level i cannot accept. In such reality if you would be on any walkout which is not in line with policy of current ruling party you can be easily identified and punished. What if you would be ever drunk and your employer does not tolerates people being drunk even after work ( that's my case, according to rules we have in company we should always be in ''good shape'' as we are representatives of our company.) 

I heard that Chinese government had implemented such solution which we know from Netflix Black Mirror series. They do have an ranking of citizens and they track all social medias they use and in bigger cities they do have as well face surveillance. Due to this 80 millions of Chinese are not allowed to leave country because they rating is to low.

Questions?

1. How do you protect your privacy and is it important for you ? 

2. What do you think about face surveillance?

3. Would you like to have such technology implemanted in Poland ? 

Sourecs:

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DAk-9LvYU1Q&t=23s

[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Privacy

WEEK 3 [19-25.04.202] A/B Tests

 What are A/B tests?

The A/B test is a research method which compares at least two slightly different versions of a design or product to find out which feature is better. A/B tests are mostly used to evaluate changes introduced on a website or related tools, e.g. marketing newsletters. The test allows you to find out which version is more suitable for the customer and which is more effective. It is most often determined by the conversion rate - the higher it is, the more effective the content or product is. You need to see what will convince users more to the desired action.

A basic example of A/B test is sending the same newsletter with two different topics and the same sender name to check which one will be opened and clicked more often. This way you decide which topic is better.

Of course getting people to subscribe to your newsletter is just one thing you can test. Other things you can test with A/B testing are (for example): getting visitors to read more information, gaining social media share, gathering subscribers, etc.

https://www.webhostingsecretrevealed.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/ab-testing.png

To be honest - you can test almost everything: from the number of clicks on a link, through subscriptions to sales results.

How to schedule an A / B test?

When you’re scheduling an A/B test you must start with determining what problem you want to solve. Then you must analyze the existing data. To know what exactly to test, you should know how much time a visitor spends on your website and how quickly it leaves it. Data analysis will help you find the element that is worth working on.

Assess how many users you need to test to get reliable results. Divide your test group into parts and  determine how long the test should take. Prepare your pages for testing using the appropriate software. When you have prepared every step  which was mentioned before - run the tests. The condition for the correct execution of the test is that both versions work at the same time, randomly hitting the users. Half of the visitors see version A (that's your control group, you show them the current version of what you are testing) and the other half see side B (variable). Simultaneously, data is collected showing whether the responses in group B have changed in response to the new variant of the side.

In the end verify the results. Has version B turned out to be more effective than A and actually caused the assumed increase? If so, you already know what the mistake was and which way you should go. If not, you should repeat the test, checking another element that may be responsible for discouraging users from visiting your website.

 

 

By testing your content, you can understand what attracts users attention. Such detailed and precise knowledge can significantly reduce the costs of an advertising campaign. If all elements are equally effective in attracting new users, even a shorter one will be effective. Test everything but skillfully prioritize. Start with the foundational elements that directly influence the success of the website, then pay attention to the minor ones. Also, remember not to optimize smaller functions at the expense of larger ones.

 

Questions

1.      Have you ever heard about A/B testing?

2.      Do you think this way of testing is good enough for making changes in the department of e-marketing in company?

 

Sources

1.      https://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Test_A/B

2.      https://charzynska.pl/testy-a-b-poradnik-dla-poczatkujacych/

3.      https://poradnikprzedsiebiorcy.pl/-testy-a-b-dowiedz-sie-o-nich-wszystkiego-i-wybieraj-dobrze

 

ROBO-DOG – A COMPANION IN OUR LIVES?

Many of us began to feel lonely during the pandemic. We are overwhelmed by remote work, the immensity of household responsibilities - all of this is our daily routine at this moment. Many of us miss family meetings, or going out with friends.

Since the epidemic of COVID-19, we have started to notice other things as well. Many of us were lack of society. I have noticed that among my friends, many people have decided to adopt or buy a pet. I an example of such a person, however, my adventure began a little differently. In January 2020, I decided to adopt a cat from a shelter. Today, I can't imagine my life without my four-legged friend. I suspect that many of you have a some kind of pet, whether it's a dog, cat, hamster, parrot, or guinea pig.

Have you wondered what when you get older? Who will take care of your four-legged friend?

Source 1: https://www.inceptivemind.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Unitree-A1.jpg

 

A year ago, Unitree company became famous for its four-legged robot Laikago, which cost $45,000, quite a lot amount for the average human wallet. The robot-dog could carry a 9-kilogram load, move up to three hours on a single charge and weight only 22 kilograms. Robo-dog could also accelerate up to 1.4 meters per second. These days, there's something much, much cheaper called Unitree A1 -model which cost almost $10000. Its capabilities boil down to 2.5 hours of operation on a single charge, a payload capacity up to 5 kilograms, and a much higher top speed of 3.3 meters per second. The A1 perceives its surroundings via dual depth-sensing cameras, sending live HD video back to the human operator - it can also operate autonomously, and in person-tracking mode.

Source 2: https://tiny.pl/r29qb

Sony followed Unitree by construct a new robotic material, called Aibo. Sony has been developing the aibo for years with new available technologies and is constantly improving it. The company emphasizes that the device combines "state-of-the-art robotics with unique AI technology." The robot is designed to "form a friendship with its owner and create cherished stories that will last a lifetime." There wouldn't be anything unusual about this, but in the footage you'll see a moment where aibo listens to its owner play guitar and is clearly curious about her hobby. Sound familiar? The "companion robot" is supposed to work in a similar way. It is supposed to read emotions and help players in the game, and through its reactions it is supposed to motivate players to achieve better and better results. Dog Aibo is not the most expensive, because at the moment we have to pay 2900 dollars for it.

During the CEATEC technology event in Tokyo, Sony unveiled a combination of the Aibo robot and smart devices from Hitachi. The robot would be an alternative to voice assistants, and is expected to connect via home Wi-Fi to other devices and exercise control over them. A cybernetic dog can run the washing machine or dryer when no one is home, but it can also bark at its owner when it gets a signal from the washing machine that the laundry is finished.

Currently, not many people decided to get such a device, it does not change the fact that solutions such as Aibo may in a few years prove to be indispensable in our daily lives.

QUESTIONS:

1. What do you think about the new generation of dogs (robo-dogs)?
2. Do you think this is the future for next generations?
3. Do you think they can help you in your daily life? Could we learn something new from them?

  

Sources:

[1] http://www.unitree.cc/e/action/ShowInfo.php?classid=6&id=1

[2] https://us.aibo.com/

Week 2 [-6-11.04.2021] Imposter Syndrome

 

Read the article at https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20210315-the-hidden-upside-of-imposter-syndrome and comment on it.  Have you had such experiences (130 words).