In Shawn's research paper we learned about 3D acceleration. He talks about how video games have come a long way and are still moving at an incredible rapid rate with the animation almost life like. I learned about the way they use polygons such as triangles at the beginning stages to obtain all the shapes they need for that particular animation. There are many companies out there on the market competing with each other day after day to try to make the better animation or the best 3D graphics because in the end it all comes down to who has the better game because they are going to be the ones that sell more in this day and age.
Next, I would like to talk about Hackers by Garret Hudson. In this report I learned that there are many different types of Hackers and that they are not all bad. Also computer hacking is not the only type of hacking that is being done either. There are phone hackers, which I never knew that can call long distance anywhere in the world that they want for free. Garett goes on to prove that hackers do a lot of good things as well such as providing extra security to systems and servers that need it. I learned that a popular way of hacking is called Netbus and that it has and invisible mode in which the person that is running it doesn't even know.
3rd and last I would like to talk about Computer Technology by Brent Taylor. In his presentation he showed how do to computers and technology skiing and snow boarding have developed into a very precise and accurate sport. Technology has made in possible to create the perfect ski for a certain person. Taking in the consideration of a persons height and weight, computers and lasers can cut and mold the perfect ski to make skiing as easy as possible and as fun as possible for that particular person. Computers can make different calculations for different aspects of the sport such as build the best possible ski for speed, jumping, going through moguls or slalom skiing. Computers and technology is doing the same thing for the rapidly increasing sport of snow boarding.
Some additional information that I have found is on the subject of hackers. Kevin Mitnick one of the worlds most famous hackers was the first ever hacker to be posted on an F.B.I. most wanted poster. Dennis Ritchie and Ken Thompson were the creators of the UNIX system in 1969, this helped users with general computing, word processing and networking. John Draper was the first hacker to figure out how to make free phone calls using a plastic whistle that he got in a box of cereal. Robert Morris introduced the word hacker into the English language and he accidentally unleashed an Internet worm in 1988 that crashed thousands of computers. Johan Helsingius operated the worlds most popular anonymous re-mailer program. This is a little bit more about hackers that I did not know about and actually find it quit interesting.
