technology Archives - The Mount Observer

MWCC CIS Majors Lead at GCC

By editorialteam on November 1, 2024

By Kent Yang | Staff Writer

Photo from Massachusetts Association of Community Colleges

As part of the ongoing workforce development expansion at local community colleges, I had the incredible opportunity to team up with my classmate and fellow Computer Information Systems (CIS) major, Kourtney Tibbets, to serve as instructors for the “IT for Healthcare” course at Greenfield Community College, hand-picked by Dr. Gary Ackerman. For those unfamiliar with Dr. Ackerman, he serves as an adjunct Professor at Mount Wachusett Community College and teaches in the CIS department. Outside of MWCC, Dr. Ackerman is the Director of Teaching and Learning Innovation at Greenfield Community College. read more

(Archive April Fool’s Day 2017) The CAPTCHA Reform: Androids Seek Equality

By editorialteam on September 10, 2024

By Joshua Needham | Social Media Editor

The logo for the pro-android rights movement.

3/15/2033

Androids and Augmented-Americans stood together yesterday in support of the CAPTCHA Reform, seeking to have the phrase “I AM NOT A ROBOT” removed from internet CAPTCHA verifications.

A CAPTCHA internet verification box, containing the controversial phrase “I’m not a robot.”

CAPTCHA is a backronym standing for Completely Automated ublic Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart and was created in 1997 during the early days of the world wide web. The system was developed initially to prevent bots from adding URL’s to search engines, back in a time when “robot” referred to an unconscious machine or automated software. read more

You’ve Heard of AI Photos; Get Ready for AI Movies with Sora

By editorialteam on March 22, 2024

By Kent Yang | Staff Writer

Imagine a technology so advanced that words can conjure breathtaking worlds, complete with sights and sounds mirroring reality. Well, now it’s possible, or at least it will be soon, with Sora by OpenAI.

OpenAI is an AI research and deployment company that aims to ensure artificial intelligence will benefit all of humanity. Sora is an artificial intelligence model capable of translating text into videos up to 1 minute long, simulating the physics and dynamics of our reality. This AI model not only comprehends text but also grasps its nature and how it exists in the real world too. read more

The Brains of the Digital World, Central Processing Units (CPUs)

By editorialteam on November 19, 2023

By Kent Yang | Observer Staff Writer

Have you ever purchased a brand-new smartphone, laptop, or desktop and thought, “Wow! It’s so fast!” The main reason for this, in conjunction with other components such as memory, graphics card, and solid-state storage, for day-to-day applications, would be because of the processor.

What is a Central Processing Unit or CPU? Think of it like the brain of the human body but instead of being for a body, it’s for a computer. The CPU is a small but powerful component that processes and performs calculations from the instructions it receives. CPUs are sometimes referred to as “chips,” and this is due to it being a main type of logic chip. read more

Cybersecurity Awareness Month

By editorialteam on November 19, 2023

By Kent Yang | Observer Staff Writer

Last month marked the 20th anniversary of Cybersecurity Awareness Month. This campaign was created in 2004 by the Department of Homeland Security and the National Cybersecurity Alliance to ensure every American has the resources needed to stay safe and secure online. This year, the focus of Cybersecurity Awareness Month was on four critical cybersecurity practices.

The first of these practices includes enabling Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA), a tool which adds another layer of protection to your account by requiring a security token or code to verify your login. This token is usually sent via text, email, or through an app like Google authentication, depending on the user’s selection or preference at the time of setting the MFA up. read more

Coping with Rising Technology Costs

By editorialteam on March 25, 2020

Pricey software and lack of access could leave students underwater

By Samantha Sykes
Observer Contributor

*Photo by Betsy Torres*
One of the Graphic & Interactive Design computer labs at MWCC, stocked with the Adobe Creative Suite of programs

Between the prices of programs, project materials, computer accessories, books, and the sheer time and effort that Graphic Design classes demand of students, it’s no wonder that students can become stressed with college.

Finding less expensive alternatives to the programs and even program related books, which can easily climb over $100, can lessen the stress a student must face.

The GID (Graphics Interactive Design) program at the Mount takes the lack of varied software programs into consideration for students and has a computer lab available for student use. The lab has all of the required programs already downloaded onto the computers, so all a student has to do is plug in a flash drive, and get to work. read more

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