Computer Science: A ship docked in the ocean

Education is truly the key, not only to facilitate a climb from poverty but also to unlock the crevices of one's mind. The burst of information that fill your mind as you course the halls of any educational institution is quite invigorating. Computer Science is becoming an intensely populated field as a result of the realization by prospective students and Caribbean governments alike, that the world of technology directs the direction of every other field. This saturation results in a collective surge of unlocked minds. 

Computer Science is diverse and far reaching, the world has become smaller but within the Computer Science intranet its even smaller. The climate of ones habitat no longer requires flight for survival when you can easily dip your feet in the back yard pool called the World. A classical example of such is the rise in jobs outsourced to countries like India, where they take advantage of exchange rates to beat external local businesses. 

My fellow colleagues I employ you to dream big, bigger than ever before, the world is truly your holster. Let no obstacle deter you, be like me in thought: 

            "Headstrong that I can use my first love as a blade sharpened by my determination to carve out my piece of  this world, I started at Cavehill." (Quote from my BIO). 

Maurice John 

20 inch 4K resolution Tablet unveiled!

Image source : The Verge

While tablets are on everyone's minds these days, I don't think anyone expected what Panasonic brought to the table; A 20" Windows 8 tablet with a 4K resolution. 4K or Ultra HD , a relatively new term, refers to a resolution of either 3840 x 2160 pixels or 4096 x 2160 pixels. Panasonic revealed at their CES presentation that the tablet is aimed at photographers and architects. The super-sized tablet runs windows 8, which from the videos is clearly not properly optimized yet for the device and takes up a little under 50% of the screen when it comes to the active tiles. Many have doubts as to whether this device would last on the consumer market, if it ever makes there in the first place. While this is certainly not the most portable tablet out there, the screen real estate and quality far surpasses any tablet currently on the market and may be just what some consumers need. What do you think? Too much? Well needed?

The Next Big Thing?

I’m 22. One year older than Mark Zuckerberg was when he founded Facebook, and three years younger than Larry Paige and Sergey Brin were when they opened Google as a private company. In this relatively new age of technology, the truth is that our generation is running the show. This statement may furrow the brow of many a veteran in this game, but an inability to think fresh, irresponsibly and crazy, means an inability to create the next big thing. I’m only a third year Computer Science major at the University of the West Indies, located on the tiny island of Barbados but I believe I have meaningful commentary on this shiny new toy called technology. 

When I was very young, my father founded a computer business in my home country St.Vincent and the Grenadines, which give me exposure to a lot of things which are now considered archaic. I remember playing games such as Jacks and a colorful stick game and fiddling with the arm that secured 5 ¼’ Floppy disk. Sometimes I left the computer purposely idle so as to see my favorite maze screensaver complete with a sorry excuse (in terms of graphics) rat. Chip’s Challenge, Pipe Dream and Ski Free, were later added to things I enjoyed most about computer as a kid. Times have changed since then, and I now own my own laptop, an Apple device and blackberry both equally useful to me. My blogging partner Maurice, often categorizes me as an Apple Hater, and I in turn tend to categorize him as an Apple Fanatic. Both claims we refute to anyone willing to listen. It’s going to be particularly interesting to see how our views compare and contrast on various aspect of this ever changing world. With CES 2013 starting soon, things can only get more heated.

I am also a professional photographer, with a fair knowledge on the use of Adobe Photoshop and a long history of designing websites. From learning basic HTML on my own at the age of 16, I can now build a fully-fledged website from “scratch” and still learning more. I am also no stranger to blogs as one night in college after being kicked out of the school library, I posted my commentary on the library experience anonymously to a blog I titled ‘Man About College’ which was well received, and snow-balled into Brainstorm Inc, a website I founded to be a hub of a number of similar blogs with multiple contributors.

I have no doubt that this blogging experience would be as interesting as before, and hope to learn as much from you the reader as you would learn from me.

- Janique-ka John

Geek iRice Reports...

Who is Maurice John? Tech junkie by day, tech junkie by night, that sums up who Maurice John is for the purpose of this blog. Technology was not my first love, I was sold the idea of civil engineering by my father through the belief that the best way to live life is by the merits of your own establishment. I kept the idea of self-sufficiency but rejected the engineering when I fell in love with tech way back in high school. It might have had something to do with the stunning I.T teacher but the end result brought forth sweet fruits.

Technology has evolved to a point where it’s now the focal point of every aspect of life. The world marches to the beat of tech, with my ears firmly planted on the ground I want to translate those notes to the masses. 

With the goal of translation in mind, my blog posts will be geared towards critically analyzing the movements in the technological space and assessing how they will eventually affect us as a Caribbean body. My colleague, Janique-ka John and I will be first tackling CES, which begins on the 8^th of January.

Quest to self-sufficiency! I’m currently in the infancy stages of creating my own business, (M.John IT Solutions) at this moment I provide only website creation services. As time progresses and I have completed my studies I would move deeper into software space through apps for every screen we utilize today.

-Maurice John