January 27, 2010
iPad: Overkill or Astonishing?
Today the web has been in a frenzy over the hyped new apple technology; The iPad. In a press conference on Wednesday, January 27th, Steve Jobs unveiled the state of the art computer-tablet, which will inevitably change print media forever. The tablet will be available starting in March for $499, an outstanding price for the applications the iPad offers. It allows for email, high speed web browsing, HD pictures, the ability to watch HD movies, as well as itunes and ibooks, a new apple application allowing consumers to purchase e-books and download them instantly. http://www.apple.com/ipad/features/ The iPad boasts an unbelievable 10 hours of battery life, and up to a month in stand-by mode. During the press conference Jobs called the iPad, a “truly magical and revolutionary product.” http://www.usatoday.com/NEWS/usaedition/2010-01-28-1Aitablet28_CV_U.htm?csp=34
I think the iPad is missing a few crucial elements which would give the product the edge over all similar media devices. It is in competition with all computers, MP3 players, the iPhone, and the Kindle. The iPad should definitely included a built in camera, removable battery, microphone, and most importantly for a college student; The ability to download textbooks instantly.
Many College students struggle everyday with the constant financial struggles that encompass them with the college life. From room and board, to tuition, to even beer money, students are on short supply when it comes to monetary funds. I feel that the iPad could make a substantial advertising campaign if they allowed for a service that had free downloadable texts onto the iPad. Instead of having to buy books every quarter or semester, a student would want to make the initial 500 dollar investment and be able to use it for the next four, five, or even ten years of his or her college career, depending on how long they choose to be in college. I for one, know that they do not condone showing up to work drunk, but in college its simply frowned upon, not a act punishable by the fullest extend of the law; just remember to show up for your finals and your midterms! For example, last quarter I spent about 250 dollars on books which is the low end of expenses. http://www.psychologicalscience.org/observer/getArticle.cfm?id=1712 Lets say for instance, I plan on graduating in four years and I am a freshman who will be purchasing my iPad before school starts for 500 dollars as an investment. With three quarters a year, and four years of school, that’s 12 book buying sections worth at least 250 dollars, which comes to a grand total of 3,000 dollars. If they only would have chosen the reusable and downloadable content on their iPad they would save 2500 dollars in the long run; a fantastic financial decision for the starving, and most often thirsty college student; Who would not enjoy a few more fun and fruity drinks at the local watering hole?
January 24, 2010
The Great Debate
The Great Debate
The main goal and business of advertising is to convince the public their product is the best option on the market compared to their competitors. Certain companies have strong rivals and are consistently fighting for the majority of the market share, for example Coke versus Pepsi, which is an ongoing heated battle that has lasted for decades. Another fantastic example of this is AT&T and Verizon Wireless, and specifically their rivalry between the iphone and the Blackberry. With the ever changing rates and plans it is almost impossible to decide which company offers a better deal. Placing the current rates, features, and advantages side-by-side is the best way to compare the options before declaring the winner. Wired, http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2008/10/showdown-blackb/ has clearly accumulated all the facts into a table as follows:
Analyzing the specifications for each phone is honestly the only way to end the continuous debate over which phone is truly superior. The Apple iphone’s main advantage is the multitude of applications that are accessible for the user. There is literally no end to the options and variations of these applications, confirming the iphone slogan, “There’s an app for that.” The Blackberry is extremely capable of managing emails and important communication which makes it an excellent phone for business associates.
Many people have strong opinion regarding this matter such as the apple iphone review http://www.iphoneappreview.com/blackberry-storm-vs-the-iphone.html and http://iphone.plentyport.com/2008/12/12/the-blackberry-storm-verses-the-apple-iphone/. The ongoing debate regarding these two phones its a constant battle between users, which will continue for quite some time before one brand clearly becomes superior.
January 20, 2010
The ever-changing quest to be the best
Following the popularity and purchases of music has been the a topic of interest for decades. It is possible to track the popularity of music throughout whole generations, countries, age groups, and sections of society. Even in the first twenty days of 2010, the popularity of songs rises and falls quickly.
Top Ten songs on itunes on January 31st, 2009 was:
1. TIK TOK — Ke$ha
2. Bad Romance — Lady GaGa
3. Replay — Lyaz
4. Fireflies — Owl City
5. Empire State of Mind (featuring Alicia Keys) — Jay Z
6. Down (featuring Lil Wayne) — Jay Sean
7. Do You Remember (featuring Sean Paul & Lil Jon) –Jay Sean
8. Whatcha Say — Jason Derulo
9. Meet Me Halfway — Black Eyed Peas
10. Party In the U.S.A. — Miley Cyrus
A mere twenty days later, many of the songs have changed placed and rankings on the itunes top downloaded list. According to itunes the top ten songs today, the 20th of January 2010, is as follows:
1. Today Was a Fairytale — Taylor Swift
2. Baby (Featuring Ludacris) — Justin Bieber
3. TIK TOK — Ke$ha
4. Hey, Soul Sister — Train
5. Bad Romance — Lady GaGa
6. BedRock — Young Money & Llyod
7. Replay — lyaz
8. Blah Blah Blah (featuring 3OH!3) –Ke$ha
9. Fireflies — Owl City
10. I Gotta Feeling — Black Eyed Peas
Many of these songs recently made the top ten list, as their popularity rises briefly for a few days, while other songs have lasting power and remain at the top of the list for weeks at a time. By just comparing these changes over a small amount of time it is easy to see how music sales are incredibly volatile and interesting to track. The music industry is constantly searching and attempting to understand the reasons behind successes and failures for music and ways to better market artists to guarantee a higher success rate. Music has been a giant contributer to American society even from the beginning with classical music on the radio, progressing into Big Band and Swing, then Rock n’ Roll in the 50’s, Disco in the 60’s and 70’s, Classic Rock of the 90’s, to songs which make the Top Ten lists of Today in 2010. Perhaps we will look back decades from now and fondly remember these songs and their great popularity, while constantly striving forward into the next genre of music.
January 19, 2010
Water Water Everywhere
Picture this scenario: It is pouring rain outside and you are late to your early morning class, and are scrambling to find books, pens, and the all important homework. The proper attire for school is hopefully found and breakfast is disregarded. You hastily shove your phone and ipod into your pockets and run out the door. When you finally arrive at school, you are absolutely drenched and much to your dismay, your phone is wet and refuses to turn on.
Has this panic inducing scenario ever happened to you whether your phone got drenched in a storm, dropped into a toilet, or had a drink spilled onto it? If it has, you are sure to understand the necessity of finding a solution to fix the problem, and FAST! There are many opinions regarding the best way to dry out a phone or ipod once it has come in contact with water. One article from “Associated Content” presents many popular methods for fixing your phone. http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/955883/tips_for_drying_out_a_wet_cell_phone.html?cat=6 Before doing anything, the most important step to save your phone is taking out the cell battery and the memory card and setting them aside to completely dry. Then you have a few choices to attempt to remove the rest of the water. Using a desiccant agent or drying agent is important to remove the water from the inner workings of the phone. Rubbing alcohol and uncooked rice are two popular agents that are commonly used. For rice, simply remove the battery and memory card and place the phone in a bowl of uncooked rice for 24 hours. If you use rubbing alcohol, rub the phone with a small amount and then dry the phone with a hair-dryer on low for approximately fifteen minutes, being careful not to overheat the phone. The hair-dryer method can be risky since phones are sensitive to heat. Sites such as“Popular Mechanics” and ”The Consumerist” also endorse the use of rice to revive a dead phone. http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/how_to/4269047.html
http://consumerist.com/2009/12/dry-out-a-wet-cellphone.html
When phones become wet and stop working, it is easy to panic and simply send the phone back and hope for a replacement. However, using these DIY options can work quite well, reviving your phone to good as new averting tragedy.
January 13, 2010
I Miss Your Face!
Many college students these days have numerous friends at different colleges across the nation, not to mention overseas, and staying in touch is always a struggle. A recent development in technology is webcams for programs such as Skype and Oovoo. These systems allow for video chats letting individuals stay connected and be involved with each other easily. (New York Times journalist Anand Giridharadas agrees here. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/06/world/americas/06iht-currents.html?scp=28&sq=skype&st=cse)
Skype is the more popular system due to the free download for an unlimited amount of time whereas Oovoo is only a free trial period of a month. http://www.oovoo.com/ Skype allows for a more personal conversation in long distance relationships with the non-verbal communication that would be lost in a phone call or text message. It is not a foolproof means of communication however. There is a good deal of technological interference and feedback such as a few seconds delay in the picture creating a great deal of mechanical noise for both users. It is problems such as these which decrease the potential users video programs could have. If these technical problems could be resolved, video chat would be more effective and enjoyable to use.
The basic overview and history of video calling began in 2003 when Skype was founded. According to the official Skype website, http://www.skype.com/welcomeback/, Skype is responsible for 8% of global international calling minutes, and with its users making 3.1 billion minutes of calls to landlines and mobiles. Skype is constantly in use and “at peak times, there are up to 20 million people online.” It is not uncommon for a college student to spend hours using Skype to stay in touch with friends from home or students at different colleges. It is not uncommon to walk into a dorm room and interrupt a Skype conversation. The progression and history of instant communication is fascinating to contemplate and examine. Years ago, we once relied solely on snail mail, then house telephones for our long distance relationships. Now, almost everyone has a personal cell phone with texting and picture messaging as a standard feature. We also have instant messaging such as AOL online and ichat for Apple on our computers. The addition of video calling as a means to stay connected is an astounding progression for technology in our average culture. I am positive the continued development of programs such as Skype will become even more advanced and continue to help students stay connected.
January 10, 2010
Everywhere You Turn
The life of a college student is a constant blur of activity, stress and communication. The workload college students face, especially, in prestigious universities requires substantial study time and academic rigor. However, when you see the inside view of a college student’s life, the majority of time is spent with technology. Cell phones are constantly in use, computers are lugged around in backpacks to class and libraries, friends are Skyped, iPods are blaring music, and friends via Facebook are stalked. In fact, so much technology is in constant use it’s difficult to differentiate whether its a help or a hinderance for academic success.
In some respects technology can promote academia and the increase of accessible knowledge for the general public. There are apps for phones that allow students to easily look up the definition of words or on computers the use of google or wikipedia to gain a base understanding of a concept within seconds. Wireless Internet has opened up a whole new level of knowledge. An understatement of our generation considers us technologically competent. At some point, however, the use of technology becomes a hinderance to our academic potential if it is not managed with self control. Many a time have I seen a lecture hall filled with students with 100 percent of the students texting or playing games with phones in their lap while notebooks are disregarded and the professor drones on without purpose. That problem exists merely during class hours; outside of class the options to ignore homework become endless. Facebook, Skype, Myspace, Twitter, ichat, Email, and ipods are put to use instead of writing assigned essays or critiques. And those are just the beginning of possibilities the technologically savvy individual faces. Many students boast about their brickbreaker skills or how fast they can send a text or even carry on multiple conversations with several individuals. Who knows how many countless hours have been devoted to activities such as these in the life of an average college student. It is the cumulation of these technologies that creates the ultimate wired student of today.
It is up to the individual student to use proper time management and self control with the numerous types of technology to balance time effectively to achieve academic success, which should be, after all, the main goal of a college student.
