Advancement in Technology. Apple's iPhone, or the rising competitor, Samsung's S4?

First time I turned this phone on, I could immediately tell that I was going to enjoy it. Right away with the High Definition of the Galaxy, was far from any other phone I've ever had. With their high 1920 x 1080 pixels, even beating the brand new iPhone 5s, shows that newer technology can’t compare with the technological advancement from Samsung. Being a whole inch larger than the 4inch 5s, the S4 has the ability to give out a whopping 441 pixels per inch, while the 5s has 326.

Samsung’s advancement in their HD screen was not the only reason buyers felt that the S4 was the better choice, compared to their competing partner, the iPhone 5,  S4 buyers also saw a faster processor  along with an amazing 13 MP Camera with new special features that we haven’t seen before.

Samsung Galaxy S4 – 1080p, 4.99-inch Super AMOLED
iPhone 5 – 640 x 1136 pixel, 4-inch IPS

Where Samsung lacks their sales is the reliability, comparing to the well-known Apple. Apple is very well known around the world, making them more compatible with accessories where Samsung is not. If you look closely, a lot of advertising around the globe has shown many companies making their product compatible with the Apple Apps, such as light switches, garage doors etc.

Ex: One of many companies making
 their products compatible
with Apple's technology

When there’s more availability with the advertising, people are going to find that the iPhone is better to get because of their name, not their specification comparison to a good competitor. As Samsung gets bigger with their name, people with slowly jump on the Galaxy bandwagon. It will be War of the better phone as our chapter moves forward in the race of phone technology. What will you chose?

http://www.trustedreviews.com/opinions/samsung-galaxy-s4-vs-iphone-5

The Need To Impress Your "Friends"

While you are sitting at the computer, do you really look like your profile picture you have displayed on Facebook or are you having a horrible hair day, no make-up and lounging in an oversized t-shirt drinking coffe? Because that is what I look like right now. The image we portray to our peers means so much to ourselves. Why does everyone care so much about what everyone thinks? Shouldn't we just trust ourselves that we are great and amazing? Is Facebook just another way to show our "friends" how amazing (we want them to think) our lives are? Now unless you are completely cut off from the world living in a cave on a deserted island, I think you know what Facebook is. About 95% of Americans have a Facebook.

When someone goes out of their way to embelish their life, I believe it is that person who is losing out. True friends know who you are, not the one thousand something "friends" you claim to have.  Do you really have a thousand friends or is that just the image you are trying to portray?

My point is, we spend too much time trying to impress others. We are actually missing out on life's opportunities. Take a step back from the computer and look around. You are amazing. Everyone would be happier if they had the confidence to be themselves both online and offline.

Do you sometimes lay it on thick to your Facebook audience to recieve praise and a high profile social status? Do you think you could go without facebook and still feel as great about the deeds or things you have done without the facebook praise? Imagine a world without Facebook.

Is technology the new babysitter?

    In the days we as people live in now, we are becoming too dependent on the new and latest technology out there. Technology has evolved into not only an adult necessity, but a necessity to children as well. Are parents using technology as a way to distract their children? Children adapt to new things that their parents give them, and the way they are raised in this generation. Parents are now giving their children technology as a way to learn new ideas, but little do they know this is becoming an issue. 
Technology is becoming a new way to "bribe" children into getting what the parents desire. Some might say their child can watch television after their room is cleaned. Children see this as a reward and say yes, due to them being dependent on watching t.v. Parents buy things like iPads and iPhones for the apps they provide for small children, giving them a way to distract the children so they can go and finish unfinished tasks. The result of children being dependent on this, is they don't explore anymore. They all stay inside and play video games or watch t.v. instead of playing outside on the playground. Children should not be affected by the use of technology at such a young age, because now they wont experience living in the moment like older generations did.

Phone addiction

Take the time to stop and think of at least one person you know who DOESN'T have a cellphone.  Pretty hard isn't it?  Just about everyone has cellphones and it's starting to become an issue.  People get to be overly addicted to their phones and get pretty mad when they don't rise to their expectations.  Some people have separate phones for texting and calling.  Schools are having major issues with students and their phones.  I never understood why people are so obsessed with them.  No one lives in the moment anymore.  Everyone has their head down on a screen and completely miss whats going on around them.  Driving is probably the best example of this.  So many accidents are caused by people who are texting or using their phone in some way.  Deposit what these idiots say, their mind can only focus on one thing and when their texting their not able to focus on whats happening on the road.  Schools, Drivers ed, instructors all make it clear the consequences of texting and driving, yet most people still ignore insisting that that will never happen to them.  NEWS FLASH stop being a stubborn moron and put the phone away.  I've personally seen what happens when your on your phone while driving and to many young people are being killed because of it so, PUT YOUR PHONES AWAY.
   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-U4Yr9UNBo   

Marijuana Legalization in Washington State

 

                              Marijuana legalization in Washington State.

         A bill was introduced to pass the legalization of marijuana in Washington State. One of nine co-sponsors of the bill, Grosso said, "It’s time for us to recognize that marijuana does not do harm. It’s not a gateway drug like people think it is. It’s not causing massive accidents or causing people to go crazy on the streets. And it’s just leading a lot of kids right to jail. Until they’re able to purchase this in a regular store and not have any consequences, that’s what it’s going to continue to do.”

         

 December 6, 2012, Marijuana became legalize in Washington State along with 24 states and Columbia District. According to the survey released by the Pew Research Center, 52% to 45% of Americans supports the ideal of legalizing Marijuana. Jamen Shively, former Microsoft executive now a Marijuana Entrepreneur, wanting to open as many as 24 shop retailing marijuana in Colorado and washington State. His main targets are the Baby Boomers who have probably tried it in their college years.

 

Aside from state legalization of marijuana, marijuana is still federally illegal. The regulation of possessing marijuana is similar to alcohol. Must be atleast the age of 21 to have access to it, can not drive and smoke, and must be use outside from public.

Facebook is very good place too meet with your friends what you like, and you cane send you picher and good event. i like facebook because very way to post your idea or anyting what you want but we have to becareful becouse you know most of people addicted on facebook? I read about one  facebook addiction fact.This is what I read "20 minutes on Facebook links shared is 1,000,000 , event invited 1, 484, 000 , tagged photos 1,323,000, friend fequest accepted 1,972,000 ...."
So please ask yourslef how long spent your time on facebook a day?  If some one spent more then 10 hour surfing internet and chating with friends. what you think ? I want say facebook without self discipline, it is very dangerous.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3L71oPCHSGM&noredirect=1http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3L71oPCHSGM&noredirect=1

Facebook bad for you

Concussions in football

    Football is one of the most violent contact sports out there. In recent years there has seem to be a rise in head injuries in football. Most of the talk is in the National Football League. The league commissioner Roger Goodell has tried to reduce these injuries in the NFL by making different penalties for hits to the head on defenseless wide receivers and quarterbacks. These penalties cost the players team fifteen yards and a whole new set of downs. Recently the commissioner has set a new rule in which the running back on offense cannot lower his head into a defensive player trying to tackle him in the open.
       It is not just in the NFL where players are receiving head injures, it is also in high school and pee wee football. A lot of parents won't let their children play football because of the risks. Even former and current NFL players won't let their children play football. Here is a link to a website of high school football head injuries. http://www.momsteam.com/health-safety/concussion-rates-high-school-sports
       On the other hand, like myself, believe that head injuries aren't actually increasing, we are just becoming more aware of them. Players back in the 80's wouldn't go see their trainer or team doctor if they got hit hard and they were dizzy from the hit for a while. They would just keep on playing until the injury got serious. Now we are much more careful of head injuries because of the effects it can have later in life.

Jimmy Kimmel: Twerking Prank Proves Medias Liability

Jimmy Kimmel: Twerking Prank of All Time





The True Liablility of The Media
Jimmy Kimmel personally just proved how liable the media really is. The media blew up this video and named it the biggest twerking fail ever! Yet they never even checked on the credibility of the video. All they did was place this video on youtube not on any other social network or website and as you can see from the video that they got 9 million views within a week.

Trust the Media?
Should we ever trust the media anymore? People can not trust the media 100% ever, even the smallest things like a youtube video can get blown up without checking its creditabiltiy. The smallest news can travel extremely quick around the world through the media even if it is not true. Imagine the danger that the media can do just by transferring news or information that is not true and all they have to do is check the credibility. If the media is this lazy, we can never trust them 100%.
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XkwiNJ5M-A0 - The Real Twerk Fail

A Dolla Makes Me Holla Honey Boo Boo

Here Comes Honey Boo Boo is an American reality show about a family in McIntyre, Georgia. Alana Thompson and her family became famous from a reality show called Toddlers & Tiaras. Alana is part of the concourse Toddlers & Tiaras and in the reality show Here Comes Honey Boo Boo they show how Alana Thompson handles all of the situations that she goes through to achieve her goals and in the future become Miss America. Viewers also can see all the support that Alana’s family gives her. Here Comes Honey Boo Boo is probably not a common reality show that Americans expect to see on TV and that is one of the reasons why it has become so popular because it is so different that people love it.

I think that Here Comes Honey Boo Boo is so funny and it is the other side of American reality shows. What I love about this show is that they don’t act they are just so natural, that they show the world how they live daily without caring what people say about their family. Alana Thompson is a great example that girls don’t have to be skinny to be successful models and achieve their dreams.

 

The iPhone 5C Effect

The New iPhone 5C

The iPhone 5C Effect

    3997. That is the number of different Android phone models that were in use in 2012. When asked what cell phone you have, one could be vague and say "An iPhone", but the answer, "An Android" would not suffice. There are too many different Androids on the market for you to not be specific about which one you have! The iPhone, however, is a different story. Before the release of the 5S and 5C, there were a total of 6 iPhones, so one can be a bit vague about which you have. But, could that have been the genius billion dollar plan behind  Apple's iPhone?

   Every year people line up in anticipation for the release of the newest iPhone, and why shouldn't they? like always, Apple's iPhone division has focused all year working on this one model, the newest iPhone. So no wonder people were surprised when they got Double what they were expecting! This years New iPhone 5S showed up with its sidekick 5C. At around $499 a pop, usually new iPhones are anything but cheap, but now a brand new $99 iPhone! How can this be? The quality of the new 5C is still as good as the 'old' iPhone 5 and many of its new features are similar to the 5S, the only thing different is its low-cost plastic wrapping. So what does this mean for the future of Apple's iPhone and they way we view the smart phones in general?

   Could this be a billion (maybe trillion) dollar idea that Apple has had? Possibly making a cheaper iPhone so that now nobody has an excuse not to try it? Imagine the domino effect that it could have on a new target market, that being people who have not yet switched to iPhone or a smartphone in general. This new iPhone 5C is like a gateway drug into the world of hardcore smartphone addiction. Previous customers with the iPhone 5 will upgrade into the 5S then 6 and so on just like they would have, but now this new market of previous no phoners and flip-phoners will now be upgrading to the affordable 5C, then there 5C for the '6C' then eventually the more expensive '6' then '7' and so on! And it won't stop there? Parents will be saying to them selves, "Lets start are kids off with a good 'cheap' phone like the iPhone 5C for there first phone". After that, the pieces all fall into place and the domino effect begins there too.

    Who knows if it will stop there? Apple has generated over 44 billion dollars in revenue from its current system of one new upgrade a year, so could double the iPhones per year potently double their revenue too? Or could we see the 5C start yet another domino effect? Should we start expecting 26 new iPhones per year, one for each letter of the alphabet? Well, chances are it will probably not be to that extreme, but maybe someday soon, we won't be able to be so vague about which 'iPhone' we have.

Eyebrow threading!

I truly love it. I have been getting my eyebrows threaded for over ten years.i don't like to get waxed.waxing burns my skin, and pulls off the top layer of it.some people don't get in to this but I honestly thinks it is a cleaner,fresher,prettier look. It started back ancient years in China,Persia, and India. http://threading-school.com/ threading is known to pull out the hair follicles.its also known for the hair to grow back two to six weeks.the more you get it done the thinner the hair grows and the longer it takes to grow back.threading is not just for the eyebrows;upper lip,side burns,fore head are all examples(the whole face).its been done here in Minnesota for about 7years now that I know of.i use to get my eyebrows done in Chicago about tens years ago. You can find these stores in the malls or some spa places do it also.i think everyone should try it once and then debate what they like better.everyone that I had tried it really liked it.unlike waxing it doesn't irritate your skin or burn you.the first or second time might hurt, but after that its a piece of cake. It takes about two mins(depending on who is doing it)if the lady is experienced it's that fast but if she's new it might take four mins.i haven't had any complaints yet!

Wind in Space

Taking the yacht out for a sail past Jupiter’s moon Europa to see an enormous geyser bursting forth from the frozen surface; its farfetched true, but the solar sail is not. One need only look at a comets tail for a simple confirmation of the theory behind them. A comets tail does not trace the path it has travelled, but rather is projected for the side opposite of the sun which is buffeting it with a stream radiation and high energy particles known as solar wind.  Solar sails take advantage of this phenomenon similarly to a ship sailing on the ocean. NASA Is planning to demonstrate the solar sail as a viable means of transit through space in 2014 with the Sunjammer project. Sunjammer won’t be the first sail to be flown but it is easily the largest with its 124ft square sail (1300ft^2). When the sail is all packed up the whole craft is about the size of a washing machine and weighs in at a mere 70Kg. This remarkable device could prove solar sails as a way to increase the range while decreasing the costs on future missions. Depending on the success of the Sunjammer we could be seeing many more sails launched in the years to come. The majority of theses would be used for relatively mundane tasks like clearing orbiting debris, and   functioning as satellites. They have the potential however to unleash a new age of space exploration were humans tack their sails trek to some not so distant planets. 

The NFL & the Super Bowl in Popular Culture

Sports in general play a large part in our society therefore some sports are bound to be part of popular culture. American football is one of those popular sports and in particular the NFL(National Football League).

 

The NFL draws a lot of attention in our society but it only really draws attention when it is active. The NFL has an off-season when the sport steps out of the spot light. The NBA (National Basketball Association), the MLB (Major League Baseball), the NHL (National Hockey League), and other sports do this to create a big hype when the sport comes back. During the off-season there is still activity in each sport, for instance in the NFL there is still training activity, the NFL Combine, the Draft, and news of players activity and trades.

 

Before the beginning of the season there is a period in which a couple of games that are called pre-season games. These have really no relevance to the regular season and are really practice matches for the teams as well as promoters for the return of the sport. The pre-season games are generally just testing out new plays and working out new players who haven't played in any NFL games before.

 

When then the regular season start, all the games are on Sundays except for one on Monday and Thursday. Since the season schedule is set before the season starts, sometimes teams are better then they were at the start. As the weekends go by teams build up a record of wins and losses and the ones with the best records usually make it into the post-season.

 

The NFL has two subsections, the AFC(American Football Conference) and the NFC(National Football Conference). Each of these is divided into 4 Divisions(East, West, North, and South) and each of those divisions has 4 teams in them. There are a total of 16 teams per conference and 32 teams in the NFL. Each AFC and NFC team plays the other teams in its own division twice (home and away) during the regular season, in addition to 10 other games assigned to their schedule by the NFL. Those assigned games are chosen by what a teams conference standings look like and by random assignment in which teams play other in conference teams or out of conference teams.

 

The post-season is made up of 19 games called the playoffs where there is a Wild Card round, the Divisional round, the Conference championships, and finally the Super Bowl. The teams that make it to the playoffs have the best record within their respective division and out of these 12 teams all have the same chance to make it to the Super Bowl if they win their games. If a team looses a game they are out of the playoffs immediately. The Super Bowl consists of a NFC team and AFC team against each other while the rest of the playoff games are split so that the teams that make it to the Super Bowl are the best of the two leagues.

 

The Super Bowl is a very popular activity in the U.S. and people who don't even follow it are usually affected by it somehow even if it is just hearing about it or seeing something related to the event. Most news outlets at least mention it and social media sources are usually ablaze in ads and promotions for it. There is usually a popular band that plays at halftime and there is even a draw to watch the ads during the halftime and throughout the game. Companies shell out tons of money to get their ads on air during the Super Bowl and they are usually funny or creative in some way or another. People usually pick out a team they think will win and cheer for them. The event is largely a social gathering exercise where food is shoved down throats. Chips such as Doritos and Tostitos are usually found at Super Bowl parties as well as drinks such as Pepsi, Coke, and Budweiser. It's almost a holiday for a lot of sports fans and has become a day to sit around and watch the final football game of the year. Popular TV shows reference the Super Bowl just like Halloween and Christmas, there is high stakes betting involved on the scores and victory of the games.

 

Here is an example of a Doritos commercial that was played last Super Bowl as part of promoting Doritos as a great snack.

 

 

 

 

 

 

iPhone, long live the king?

The dominance of the iPhone in the mobile market seems like it’s been going on for a long time.  As it’s that time of year again, everyone’s excited about the unbelievable hardware and the stunning updates for the new iPhone. I’m sure you’ve heard of the release of the new iPhone 5S and 5C this past week. However if you backtrack not even 8 years ago, the iPhone was not even on the market yet!  So can you recall the last major mobile company that dominated the scene? You guessed it, its old rival Blackberry! But what happened to this once prestigious company and will it happen to Apple too?

It wasn’t long ago Blackberry phones were the crown jewel of the mobile device market.  At the time, Blackberry offered revolutionary products that included concrete security software and were one of the first to showcase an amazing mini-keyboard pad. A must have at that time, it was a sophisticated mobile device that offered easy texting for the youth and was the quintessential phone for the important business executive.

However, slowly the Blackberry line waned in popularity. When the iPhone was first released in 2007, it was naturally dubbed the “Blackberry Killer.”  The ease of having tunes on a widely used musical platform such as iTunes and an easy to use touchscreen proved to be an instant attraction.  Software glitches that didn’t allow network and email to work deteriorated Blackberry’s reputation as well. Corporate giants such as Yahoo Inc. and Halliburton Co. replaced their employee mobiles from Blackberry models to more consumer-friendly devices, which at one time were 70 % of it’s subscribed users. 

So will the iPhone continue to dominate the market in the future? Will consumers continue to flock to Apple stores and wait in line for hours? We may soon find out in the next coming months, as new releases of anticipated smartphones are set to be unveiled.  

All I know is in two weeks, I will be in line for the new iPhone 5S!