Like many kids from the 80's and 90's when I was a younger I enjoyed playing the "Pokemon" series from GameFreak and Nintendo Inc. In the summer of 2016 when the game released the first licensed "spin-off" for mobile devices like the "Apple iPhone" and "Android OS" I joined the proverbial "bandwagon". A year later and despite being what one could consider a "major fan" of the Pokemon games "Niantic's Pokemon Go" has left many including yours truly asking themselves "what now?".
The novelty has worn off for the majority of the initial user base, and due to the applications rapid initial adoption there doesn't seem to be much as far as potential "new" users. Despite the game being touted as the "the next big thing" by various health professionals for exercise and continued fitness when the motivation to advance in the game itself is lost the motivation to exercise seems to wane as well. (Especially in my personal experience.)
A large portion of "why?" I don't use the game to continue to reach my fitness goals (besides everything being measured in "kilometers") is the lack of quantifiable information being provided. I can look at my "eggs" and with some basic recollection and computation figure approximately how many tenths of a kilometer I have walked, well a good guess at least. And look at my "buddy" Pokemon as well to get a general idea of how many kilometers I have likely walked, and that's about it.
After the start of a recent in-game mini event and a serendipitous installation of "Google Fit" for a different purpose, I came to realize that probably because "Pokemon Go" uses the "Google Maps API" the two applications can work in conjunction! The application not only measures steps taken like a standard pedometer but also lists the approximate calories burned each day as well. This feature along with other points such as "daily goal setting" with reminders has given me a new motivation to "Catch 'em All", but even with "more information" and the practical goal of a healthier lifestyle I honestly wonder if I will keep up with my new fitness goals.
Feel free to comment below, share any other "fitness apps" that work with "Pokemon Go", and your personal fitness goals. Thanks for reading!
Friday, May 19, 2017
Monday, May 15, 2017
(EDITORIAL) Discussing VPN use, a sign of the times?
In a recent discussion, one very common topic was the use of VPNs (Virtual Private Networks) for privacy. While the use of a VPN to keep for example ISPs (Internet Service Providers) from "snooping" on one's internet practices is not a new subject, the reasoning for this practice has become a consideration for a much broader user base.
Until recently, I would typically associate the use of a VPN for either a business using a WAN (Wide Area Network) or persons using a "Torrent" for file downloads. But with the recent end of "Net Neutrality", it could be said that it's "open season" for ISPs to release information about their users' browsing habits. Now, why would someone want to retain anonymity from their ISP? Is it because they are doing something illegal, like downloading pirate movies? Potentially, sure but even law-abiding internet citizens should consider whether the use of a VPN is a practical move.
My reasoning is simple, the end of "Net Neutrality" is furthering the concept that "privacy is not a right". In my parent's generation if a company wanted your contact information for a raffle they would be asking: "How much of this information will you sell to a third party?" Nowadays I see individuals signing off half of their identity without any regard for how this information will be used. It shows that we as a people are giving our privacy less value, less importance. Every time we agree to a EULA (End User License Agreement) that says we can do all this for free, just in exchange for the rights to any personal identifying information they can get, we as people devalue the very concept of "privacy".
The current precedents and the manner in which people state "I value my privacy" in one breath and then "click away" those very rights in exchange for cheap internet, free video games or a free Email provider contradict each other. It is time to look at these agreements that we keep just scrolling to the end of and blindly agreeing with, it is time to do more than just gripe about how our representatives have failed our interests, it is time to really ask yourself one thing: "Do I value my privacy? Or just say I do?"
Until recently, I would typically associate the use of a VPN for either a business using a WAN (Wide Area Network) or persons using a "Torrent" for file downloads. But with the recent end of "Net Neutrality", it could be said that it's "open season" for ISPs to release information about their users' browsing habits. Now, why would someone want to retain anonymity from their ISP? Is it because they are doing something illegal, like downloading pirate movies? Potentially, sure but even law-abiding internet citizens should consider whether the use of a VPN is a practical move.
My reasoning is simple, the end of "Net Neutrality" is furthering the concept that "privacy is not a right". In my parent's generation if a company wanted your contact information for a raffle they would be asking: "How much of this information will you sell to a third party?" Nowadays I see individuals signing off half of their identity without any regard for how this information will be used. It shows that we as a people are giving our privacy less value, less importance. Every time we agree to a EULA (End User License Agreement) that says we can do all this for free, just in exchange for the rights to any personal identifying information they can get, we as people devalue the very concept of "privacy".
The current precedents and the manner in which people state "I value my privacy" in one breath and then "click away" those very rights in exchange for cheap internet, free video games or a free Email provider contradict each other. It is time to look at these agreements that we keep just scrolling to the end of and blindly agreeing with, it is time to do more than just gripe about how our representatives have failed our interests, it is time to really ask yourself one thing: "Do I value my privacy? Or just say I do?"
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