Blaise Aguera y Arcas (Augmented-reality Maps T.E.D. 2010)

I think that the augmented-reality maps are ridiculously amazing. Forget Google maps, and Google Earth. At one point, I, personally, thought that Google Earth was an awesome idea, but the whole "augmented-reality" thing totally blew that away for me.

The fact that you can look at it as a regular map is, well, pretty basic, but the zooming in and having an angled view like the Sims City games is pretty neat. Google Earth? Last I had seen it was an omniscient view, which is alright but doesn't give much to determine scaling. You can see a place in daylight, and see how it will be in the twilight. The Augmented-reality maps really let you know a place before you even get there.

In my opinion, the Augmented-reality maps are the future of all maps. If not, then it should be because they are amazing. Who doesn't want a map that can, and will, interact with the person and the surroundings? To be able to see different places, day and night, to see exactly what you will experience before you go. There is no other word for these maps (that I can think of) except "amazing."

The David Cameron Speech (T.E.D. 2010)

After viewing the David Cameron speech "The Next Age of Government," I would have to say that the man knows what he's talking about. It's true that society needs to have a form of government, but in today's world, there is just too little power in the average individuals hands. What Cameron is talking about is the fact that the world governments are basically out of the loop because they don't have the power that they once had. All thanks to the technology we have today.

It's because of the technology that we have that we as individuals are able to do things that only government associations were able to do. We can use the internet to see what crime is going on in certain neighborhoods, we can even see what's going on in our local courtrooms without having to be there in person.

In my opinion on Cameron's speech, the things he was talking about, the new age of government is kind of like a set guideline by the big brother, but with our own technologically extended freedoms. We as the individual of a country should make it our own responsibility to know what's going on around us, and how to change it ourselves if we don't like it. I'm all for that idea, especially when there isn't a president that i can think of that hasn't done something "wrong" in someones opinion.