Controlling Two Robotic Arms With Your Mind?

Recently, Leslie Baugh became the first man in the world to be able to control two robotic arms with his mind. Baugh became a double amputee after a freak electrical accident at his work years ago. Since then he has not been able to do things that most people take for granted everyday such as getting something from the fridge or tying his shoes. The robotic arms were developed by a research team and John Hopkins University and have been in development for years.

Link to the original article with more information on the man who can control two robotic arms with his mind: https://www.yahoo.com/tech/double-amputee-becomes-first-to-control-two-105530561789.html

I think that it is pretty cool that technology like this has been developed. There are many people around the world that are in situations in which they would benefit greatly from having a robotic arm that they could control with ease. Even people who don't have amputations could benefit from technology like this. An example of this would be people who are almost completely paralyzed, such as Stephen Hawking. Although the technology has a long ways to go before it is able to be used by a person everyday it shows a lot of promise. Baugh was able to pick up things such as balls and move them to other areas and drop them into things such as bowls. Prior to actual using the arm Baugh was trained/probed on a computer program where the scientists were able to work with him to develop the movements of the arm and develop ways to determine the patterns in his mind (they would tell him to think of moving his hand and then they would record any electrical patterns they noticed in the probes so then they could identify them later and cause the robotic arm to act accordingly).

I think that technology like this will be able to help out everybody with a disability in the near future. Hopefully it will be readily available for those who are handicapped.

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New Media Apps Released for the Xbox One

This week Microsoft decided to release a series of new media apps for the Xbox One that its users can take advantage of. The list of new media apps includes Vevo, Pandora, Bravo Now, Telemundo Now, and Popcorn Flix. The new media applications have been released just in time for the holidays so you can entertain your guests during get togethers. The applications will be available to everyone with an Xbox One, an internet connection, and a membership to each of the services and Xbox Live.



Link to the original article with more information on the release of the new applications: https://www.yahoo.com/tech/s/xbox-one-gets-pandora-four-200900001.html



I think that it is pretty cool that Microsoft is releasing more media apps for the Xbox One. The Xbox One was a failure for Microsoft compared to its last console, the Xbox 360, which outsold Sony's competing console for that generation, the Playstation 3. There are many reasons for the poor launch and sales of the Xbox One such as poor marketing and a higher initial price tag than its competitor, the Playstation 4. The Xbox One also featured a less power central processing unit and a less powerful graphics processing unit. This means that the console is not able to push out the good "looks" in games that the Playstation 4 is able to push out. I think that the fact that Microsoft is releasing these apps shows that they are looking to try and outsell Sony in the console wars once again. They had already taken a move to increase sales by decreasing the price of the Xbox One to lower than the Playstation 4. The applications bring an edge to the Xbox One that they easily held during the days of the Playstation 3 and the Xbox 360, the entertainment interface. During the last generation of consoles Microsoft had the better console for playing with friends and hosting parties while Sony had the better system for the serious gamer. However, with the newer generation of consoles Sony has came out on top by producing a console that appeals to hardcore gamers and the average person. Microsoft, however, didn't really change their style and only made slight changes to the operating system and feel of the Xbox 360. This let Sony leave Microsoft in the dust. I think that if Microsoft continues to make moves to make their console more appealing to the average person than the Playstation 4 they have a chance of heading back to the top of the console market. However,  I think that Sony has a pretty good stake in this generation of consoles and could very easily keep on selling more units than Microsoft.

Overall I think that this was a pretty good move by Microsoft. Even though I am a PC gamer and I like Sony more, I think that in order for Microsoft to emerge as the leader in console sales once again they need show that the general entertainment aspect of their console is better. Personally, I hope that Sony continues to lead the sales in the console wars because they make better products that are more reliable and that are of more quality. They also have better customer services than Microsoft does.

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Telltale Games Is Going to Develop a New Story-Based Minecraft

Telltale Games is working on a new single player Minecraft version that will have a story to it. The new game is coming off of a big year for the creator of Minecraft, Mojang. Last year the company was bought out by Microsoft for 2.5 billion dollars. The original creator of the game, Notch, also made a move to leave the company. Hopefully the game will be good and will refresh Minecraft.

Link to an article with more information on the new game that Telltale Games is developing: https://www.yahoo.com/tech/new-story-driven-minecraft-game-coming-in-2015-105555215204.html

I think that it is pretty cool that Telltale Games is working on a new and refreshing version of Minecraft. I played Minecraft everyday for a very long time. I experienced a lot of what Minecraft offered: the singleplayer experience, mods, multiplayer servers, and hardcore pvp. Recently the game has gotten very boring me and those who I play with on the computer. I think that the story based version of the game will be refreshing, and will help me enjoy Minecraft once again. I also think that it is pretty cool that the game is going to be shaped by the community. This is great because Minecraft is a largely community driven game. Without the community that it has Minecraft would not have gotten to be as major of a game as it is today. I hope that the developers of the game keep the open world aspect of the game that players love so much. I don't think that they should change the gameplay mechanics much, but they should definitely make a structured campaign that is entertaining and well-made. I think that the title will end up being pretty similar to other titles such as Little Big Planet and Little Big Planet 2. If the developers don't keep in mind the mechanics of the original game the game will fail in my mind. I also think that the game should boast some improvements in areas such as the graphics and player movements. Hopefully these improvements in graphics and animations can be ported over to the original game. I also think that the developers should add more combat dynamics. They should add things such as duel wielding weapons and more items that provide perks such as healing or speed boosts.

Hopefully Tell Tale Games does a great job of expanding upon the core version of the game. If they listen to the current Minecraft community and take the time to develop some great gameplay mechanics I think that the game has a lot of potential. Hopefully the game will revive the Minecraft "series" for play like myself who have lost interest in the game because they have exhausted most of its features. I am looking forward to the release of this game, and even though it is a game that is mainly viewed as "childish" I will definitely be buying this whether or not it is good or bad.

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A New Facebook System that Keep You From Uploading Embarrassing Pictures?

We have all heard of or seen embarrassing pictures that someone put up on a social networking site that they regret putting up. The issue has actual caused some major problems, and has actually led to suicides because of intensive bullying caused by pictures that have been posted that people didn't really mean to post. The people at FaceBook are thinking of making a new type of technology that will allow users to avoid taking bad pictures and accidentally putting them up because they are drunk. The system will use the already existent facial recognition system that FaceBook has developed that is able to tell what your friends look like. They plan to extend the system so it will be able to identity if you or other people are drunk in the picture. If it identifies such happenings then the system will make sure that you actually want to post the picture.

Link to an article with more information on FaceBook's move at developing a new picture posting process: https://www.yahoo.com/tech/facebook-working-on-system-that-keeps-you-from-104856681279.html

I think that it is really awesome that FaceBook is looking at developing a method of helping people post appropriate pictures on the internet. I think that it will be a needed step forward into the day of social networking. This feature, if followed through on, will prevent a lot of bullying around the nation and will help kids and adults feel more confident about themselves and what they post on the internet. I also think that this system that FaceBook is developing has the chance to make them the most popular social networking site again. Many teenagers have moved onto other social networking sites such as Twitter, but when this technology is implemented on FaceBook their will probably be a revival of the site as parents will push their children to switch back over.

I hope that FaceBook follows through on this idea because, if done well, it has the potential to make the social networking environment a much more friendly place. It will help boost the confidence of many teenagers and adults around the world and it will probably be a big step forward in today's social networking industry.

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Google Refunding 19 Million Dollars

Recently, Google has made the move to hand out over 19 million dollars worth of refunds to deserving Google Pay customers. The refunds are being put into play because of the issue of in app purchases by little children. In games such as "Smurf Village" users could easily purchase in game items. This led to some crazy bills for parents of young children, without a chance of a refund. I remember this happened to my younger brother when he was eight and he bought over 50 dollars worth of coins for an app on our iPad. Google's move to pay back the users really won't put that much of a dent in their pocket as the company's reported revenue for last year was 16.57 billion dollars.

Link to an article with more information regarding Google's move to refund some of its customers: https://www.yahoo.com/tech/google-is-forking-over-19-million-in-in-app-104870075034.html

I think that it is good that Google is going to refund some of its customers for its poorly designed payment system. It is very hard for parents to keep control over what their children buy over the internet and how much of it they buy. I think that some large tech company such as Google or PayPal should develop a system that can be used across all platforms, so we don't have to worry about different payment methods that may not be as good or secure as others. I think that PayPal has the chance to become a much larger way of paying for items over the internet than it already is. For PayPal transactions the user doesn't has to input personal information such as a credit card number when making purchases from sites that aren't that established. This allows the user to buy their items in a safe environment where they are not able to be hacked or to have their personal information stolen. Once a system such as PayPal becomes the common way of paying for items throughout the internet, online transactions will remain a quick and easy process, but will also become more uniform and less vulnerable to unwanted purchases.

I hope that companies such as PayPal create a Internet wide system for online transactions. I think that the implementation of such a system would not only make the process of purchasing items online easier but also make it easier for parents to keep track of what their kids are buying on the internet and take necessary steps to help prevent them from wasting any more money in the future. Hopefully this system is developed soon so I won't have to worry about what my kids buy on the internet.

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Parrot's Bebop

Recently, a well known creator of consumer market, high level drones has released a new drone that is smaller and better. The new drone is name the Bebop, and it sports a higher resolution camera and an upgraded application to control the drone. Users also have the opportunity to buy a physical controller for the drone if they find the application insufficient. The starting price of the drone is 300 dollars, and it comes with a wide variety of sensors that help it make the flying experience a breeze for the user.

Link to the original article with more information on the subject: https://www.yahoo.com/tech/parrots-new-bebop-drone-flies-like-an-angel-104908476224.html

I think that consumer grade drones have a great place in the consumer technology market. People have always wanted to tap into the unknown of the skies and see the world from the point of view of a bird. The Bebop gives people the opportunity to do this for a relatively cheap price. I think that drones could also be used for a tool along with capturing great moments in nature. For example, Amazon is developing a mailing system in which they use drones to deliver items that people have gotten on the internet. I think that things like this have a lot of promise as long as people are willing to make changes. Drones cost a lot less to operate than things such as trucks and are more eco-friendly. I also think that it is cool that the drone is using an app interface on your phone for its controls instead of a costly controller. This makes the product more appealing to the average person and is one of the major reasons why the product is relatively successful in its market. I also think that the product is cool because of it sturdiness of build quality. The drone is able to fly even after it has undergone some severe crashes. The drone also comes with a lot of sensors that help to make it easier for the user to operate the drone.

Overall, I think that the Bebop drone is a pretty cool piece of technology that, if improved, could be big in today's consumer market. For me, I think that the price would have to drop a lot before I would even think about buying anything like it, but for some it is the perfect opportunity to explore the skies that they have been dreaming about for all their lives. Hopefully the product is able to improved upon and a bigger market will develop for drones similar to it.

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The iKnife

One of the problems with cancer is that it is hard to remove all of the tumor that is present in the body. If all of the cancerous tumor is not removed then the tumor has a very likely chance of growing back and causing even more problems for the patient. Recently, researchers at Imperial College have been developing a smart knife that uses a spectrometer to show the surgeon what type of tissue they are cutting into and whether it is cancerous or not. The knife is planned to be put into experimental trials in the near future.

Link to the original article with more information on the knife: https://www.yahoo.com/tech/s/intelligent-knife-helps-surgeons-sniff-125251261.html

I think that it is really cool that today's technology allows for people to develop products like this. I know that the re-occurrence of cancer is a serious problem. I have a great aunt that has gone through 3 or 4 rounds of cancer and has finally shaked it off. I would assume that for some types of cancer it is hard to distinguish the cancerous tissue from the non-cancerous tissue. The knife will make it easier for surgeons to remove all of the cancerous tissue. I think that the knife will help the surgeons to not cut tissue that is important. There have been cases where tissue has been cut off that caused patients to suffer from life long problems. This could be especially apparent in brain surgery, as cutting the wrong tissue in the brain could end someones life or leave them with severe mental and physical debilitation.

Hopefully the product ends up doing what it is projected to do. I think that it has great potential and that it could help save thousands of lives.

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Beanie Headphones

During the winter most people decide to wear hats to keep them warm, but are faced with the problem of putting on a hat and headphones when they want to listen to music. Recently, some companies have jumped to invent the beanie headset. The beanie headset uses a blue tooth connection to connect to mobile devices and has headphones that you can use to listen to music. The starting price of the item is 59 dollars.

Link to the original article with more information on the product: https://www.yahoo.com/tech/jason-drinks-a-lot-of-coffee-and-reviews-curious-103462422319.html

I think that the idea of a hat/beanie with headphones in it is a great idea. Even though I don't listen to music that much, I like the idea of having the ability to call people using headphones while having a hat on. While this may not be a problem for people who live in states such as California or Florida, it is definitely a problem in Iowa, where you need to put a hat on to get from your front door to your car in the winter. I also think that the product in the article has a lot of room for improvements. It has a large control panel on the back that is used to turn on the device and house the blue tooth receiver. The device is pretty clunky, and I would assume that it would draw a lot of attention if you were just standing in a crowd. The material that the beanie is made out of is pretty skimpy compared to beanies at lower prices (people would probably want a hat the keeps them warm more than a hat with headphones in it that didn't keep them warm). I hope that some of the big audio companies start to make products like this. The idea is really good. I could see companies such as Apple or Bose getting into the mix as there would probably be a pretty decent market for the item. I also think that wearable tech like this could be taken to the next level and include features other than just providing sound. I could see hats that would act as air conditioning units (because if your head and your feet are cold then your body is cold because the head and the feet are where most of the heat in your body exits). I also think wearable tech such as this could be used to keep track of things such as heart beat rate, which could hint at potential future health problems.

I hope that people continue to improve upon this idea and that it becomes a more common site in the streets. It is a great idea that could easily be improved upon using modern day hardware components.

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Wildlife Wearables

Long before humans started using wearable tech we have used wearables to help keep track of animals. We use wearable tech on animals to help keep track of information such as their location, heart rate, and population. We use the information gathered from the wearable tech that we use on animals to help keep up the population of certain species. We also use the wearable tech on animals to help us keep track of certain patterns that occur across species such as migration patterns.

Link to original article with more information on the subject: https://www.yahoo.com/tech/wildlife-wearables-how-tech-is-c1417105367989.html

I think that it is cool that we use wearable tech to help keep animals healthy and present in the ecosystem. It is a very interesting way to use wearable tech to help preserve the environment. I also think that the wearable tech on animals will help us learn a lot more about the world around us. With today's technology we can keep track of things such as heartbeat rate. I also think it is very cool that we can keep track of the exact location of certain animals. This way we can see patterns in the movement, such as migration routes. Using this data we could determine certain ecological hot spots around the world that we need to make sure remain untouched by industrialization. Animal tech could also spring into a new era of owning pets. By monitoring things such as heart rate or repeated physical gestures someone could be alerted that their dog needs food, water, or if it wants to go to the bathroom.I think that this is awesome as it takes some of the stress off of owning a dog or a cat. You could also use wearable tech on pets to see if they are in danger or if they are aggravated (in that case you probably would not want to mess with them). An personal example of when this would help that I can think is when one of my cats got her leg stuck in between two bars on a metal chair. The cat was stuck in an awkward position for  a while, and we didn't know that she was having troubles because she was outside. If she was wearing a type of device that monitored her heart rate we probably could have figured out that she was in a sticky position a lot sooner, and it would have been easier to get her out of the position (because by that time she had made the situation a lot worse by wiggling around).

Overall, I think that wearable tech on animals has already done a lot to help us preserve the ecosystem. I think that it has a lot of potential, and it could spread into the homes of pet owners to help them make sure that their animals are happy and safe.

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The Amazon Echo

Amazon has recently unveiled a new piece of technology that they have produced called the Echo. The main purpose of the Echo is to stream music and search the internet using voice recognition. It is uses voice recognition to surf the web and take song requests and has not screen, just speakers.

Link to an article with more information on Amazon's new product: https://www.yahoo.com/tech/amazons-new-gadget-is-like-a-siri-voice-assistant-for-101942916809.html

Although the speaker seems like it is a good idea I think that it is probably just a waste of money. The product seems to be a solution to a problem that could just be solved using an application that would be on your phone. I do think that the ideas behind the product are cool. The fact that the product lets you browse and playback music and surf the web is pretty awesome. The starting price of the device is said to be at 199 dollars, which is pretty steep for a device that has so little capabilities. I think that it would be nice if the device had some type of display that the user could use to make the experience of using it  a little more straight forward. I don't think that many people will end up shelling out the money required to buy the product. I think that Amazon should focus on making their voice recognition software available in an app that they release on mobile devices such as the iPhone or Android mobile phones before they make too many of the devices. I think that the voice recognition software that they developed has more of a place in someone phone than in a pair of speakers.

Overall I think that the recent efforts of Amazon to expand their market to more than just selling stuff over the internet is pretty cool. They have developed a lot of cool ideas that could be implemented into other devices, the Echo is one such example. I think that they just need to focus on developing software for other devices instead of making their own products (with the exception of their Kindle tablets). I hope that they keep on developing new ideas that help us do everyday activities more efficiently.

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Microsoft Makes a Move to Make Word Free on Mobile Devices

Microsoft has recently made the move to make Microsoft Word free on mobile devices that run on Apple's operating system or Android. They also made it so that the standard app was free and that people could later buy add-ons for the application to make it better.

Link to the article with more information on the topic: https://www.yahoo.com/tech/microsoft-just-made-its-office-mobile-apps-free-to-use-101926950844.html

I think that it is great that Microsoft is making the move to get Office applications on mobile devices. This is great because as you get older you tend to get more busy, thus, you find yourself sitting behind a computer less and less and instead are going about doing more important things. Now, instead of writing a paper or creating a power point on your computer at your house you can do it on your phone during lunch time. This ultimately makes you a lot more productive, and it makes it so that you can use your free time to do what you want to do (because you won't have to wait until you get home to start a power point that you need to do for school). I also think that it awesome that Microsoft is making its office applications free for everybody that has compatible devices. Microsoft's office applications on the PC tend to be very expensive, so it is often times hard for individuals to get a legitimate copy of the software (the price of Office leads to a lot of software pirating issues). By making the software free Microsoft is not only expanding their consumer base, but is also allowing more people to be productive (which is obviously a great thing). I also think that it is cool that Microsoft is making the application available to multiple platforms. This is awesome because it helps make all the technology that people have in their households be in sync. Being able to transfer your Word documents from your phone to your computer and then back again only to edit them more will be cool.

Overall I am very excited for the release of the new applications that Microsoft is releasing. The applications will help myself and others get the large amount of work that they have done in a reasonable amount of time. I am also excited for the new era of technology that the applications mark; an era where all of the tech gadgets that you own are synced up and networked with each other. 

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New Vector Mouth Guard is Helping the LSU Football Team Keep Their Players Safe

In recent years there has been growing concern in sports over the safety of the participants. One sport that seems to have a lot of concern focused around it is football, a sport that is very explosive and requires a lot of player to player contact. In order to deal with the growing concerns football leagues such as the NFL of NCAA are looking for ways to improve their gear and the game itself. In order to do that efficiently they needed a way to gather data on the movements that the players go through and the amount of force that they take on during a game. Recently LSU has been using a special type of mouth guard on some of their players to help them reassess their practices to help keep the player safe.

Link to article with more information on the subject: https://www.yahoo.com/tech/the-solution-to-football-concussions-may-come-from-this-102009462144.html

I think that it is awesome that there is now an accurate way to measure the forces that players are put under in high contact sports. If we are able to accurately interpret the forces done on areas such as the head then we will be better able to make equipment that reduces these forces. I think that the technology also shows how sensors can be used in everyday life to help us make things better and more efficient. Just imagine having a sensor on your body that kept track of your stress levels. You could use the data that the sensor gathers over the course of a few days or weeks to help you determine a schedule that makes you the least stressful. I also think that it is great that people are taking steps to make equipment for athletes that makes it so that they are less likely to suffer from injuries (specifically brain injuries). It is cool that the mouth guard is offered to anyone and that it is going to be used in other sports such as basketball and wrestling. I also think that it is great that the mouth guard is already being used on the LSU football team. I think that the fact that a well-known football team is using it shows that it is a piece of technology that is worth looking into. The coaching staff also said that they have made some changes to their preseason workout routines after using the mouth guards for a relatively short amount of time.

Personally, I think that it is great that people are taking a scientific approach to getting rid of sports related injuries and illnesses. I also think that the mouth guard is a great example of how sensors can be used to improve our lives.

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Recently, LG has been showing off their new smart phone screens with super thin bezels. The new panel for the screen uses an adhesive layer that doesn't require a plastic frame around its edge to keep its shape. The new screen's bezel is only .7 mm thin (that is as thin as something like a piece of uncooked spaghetti. The new screen is speculated to be on LGs upcoming smart phone, the G3. LG claims that its display is the world's thinnest.

Link to article with more information about the screen and LG's plans:

https://www.yahoo.com/tech/lg-shows-off-5-3-inch-display-with-almost-no-bezel-101364980839.html

I think that the new screen technology that LG has developed is pretty cool. While it seems subtle, it actually makes the phone seem a lot more engulfing. The screen seems to be much bigger than it really is, and the surface area of the touch screen also nearly goes out to the end of the phone (yes, that means no more problems with your fingers going off the screen when playing games or browsing the operating system). I think that LG's technology is also going to implemented in more phones. Today's phone companies are trying to find ways to maximize the surface area of screens while keeping the phone as small as possible. This technology allows the phone companies to cut down on the space on the outer edge of the screen, which actually makes up a lot of the volume of the phone. Even though LG isn't the first to create the ultra thin bezel technology itself, the Sharp Aquos Crystal beat it to that, its screen is larger and has a higher resolution than the Sharp Aquos Crystal.

I think that it is awesome that LG is making the move to develop thin bezel technology. Their move fits in completely with the movement of today's smart phone technology; it will help companies develop phones that are thinner and lighter. Hopefully more companies make the move to develop thin bezel technology.

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During last Wednesday night's World Series game Microsoft decided to reveal details on its rumored smart watch, Microsoft Band, that it has been developing. the smart watch brings a new twist to the already existent smart watch market, and Microsoft is planning to compete with Apple and Android for the leading spot in the smart watch market. The watch is designed to work with Windows phones (no surprise), has a variety of sensors to track body movements and behaviors such as a gyroscope and a galvanic skin response sensor , and is similar in appearance to fitness watches of today. The watch should be released at a similar date to when the iWatch is going to be released.

Link to article with more information on Microsoft's new smart watch:
https://www.yahoo.com/tech/microsofts-new-band-is-a-smartwatch-in-a-fitness-101348236069.html

I think that it is great that Micorosoft is developing a smart watch to compete with Apple and Android. In my opinion (I praise this a lot in these blogs) competition in the technology industry helps to drive the innovation that happens. One of the features I like the most about the Micorsoft Band is that it is able to connect with your smart phone. This is cool because instead of taking your phone out of your pocket to take calls you can just press a button on your smart watch and talk to your friend. The watch will be able to notify you when you are receiving calls, text messages, emails, and much more. I think that the ability of the smart watch to be able to connect to your phone will be a common feature for most smart watches. I also like the smart watch's operating system is designed to look similar to the newer Windows operating systems. This makes your whole mobile experience have a clean and uniform look. I am also looking forward to this smart watch because of the amount of unique sensors that it has on it. It may not seem like a big thing, but the more data that the smart watch is able to take in about its surroundings the more it is capable of doing with the apps that it has on it. A lot can be done with an accelerometer, a compass, and an internet connection. I am also looking forward to this smart watch because it is made by Micorosoft. This means that more people will have access to the software that is required to make applications for the device. The applications for the watch also use common programming languages such as visual basic. This is not like apple products, which use a coding language that is only usable on apple products.

Overall, I think that is great that Microsoft chose to compete with Apple and Android for its stake in the smart watch market. I hope that the competition between the powerhouses of the mobile technology industry will drive the smart watch to bigger and better places.

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Google's New Line of Tablets and Phone's

Earlier in October Google revealed its new line of tablets and phones that it plans to release later this year (sometime in November or December). This new line includes their newest smart phone, the Nexus 6, and their newest tablet, the Nexus 9. Each of the products boast new features over their predecessors and are lighter and thinner. Both of the products also run off of the Android operating system (the Nexus phones run off of the newest versions of Android and can often show new features that are coming to different Android phones).

Link to the original article with more information on the specifications of the products: https://www.yahoo.com/tech/nexus-6-and-nexus-9-first-look-googles-new-phone-and-101272826584.html

I think that the new products that Google is releasing set up great competition for the smart phone and tablet markets.  The new tablet, the Nexus 9, has exactly the same screen resolution but has a screen that is one inch smaller. The Nexus 9 is also slightly lighter than the iPad Air, weighing in at less than one pound! I think that this is awesome because it is a pain to hold tablets that weigh a lot. I like to use mobile devices that are lightweight but that still pack a punch. The Nexus 6 is also pushing the limits of smart phone technology. I like that it runs the most up to date versions of android. The phone is also designed upon the android operating system. It is the example phone for the implementation of android on a smart phone. The only problem about these mobile devices is their size (at least compared to other products such as the iPhone or iPad). Both the phone and the tablet are relatively large compared to their counterparts from other companies. For me, size is a very important factor in the smart phone and tablet industries. I like to have phones and tablets that have large screens but are also thick. This tends to be the trend in mobile technology in recent years; the screens are getting larger but the products themselves are getting thinner.

Overall, I think that Google's new tablet and phone will make tough competition for other phones and tablets such as the iPad Air and iPhone 6. Competition in the mobile technology market will only help the technology improve at a faster rate, which is something that I am sure most of us would appreciate.

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Robotic Lettuce Farming?

Recently, two men have developed a product that attaches onto a tractor and allows it to decide which lettuce heads to pick and which heads to leave in the field until they get ripe. The product uses a series of sensors that keep track of information such as the tractors location, the color of the lettuce heads, and the height of the crops. It uses this information to help it make decision on the spot. The pair who invented the product launched their business in Sunnyvale, California in 2011, and have since then raised $13 million to help them launch their product.

Link to the original article with more information on the product and its promises: https://www.yahoo.com/tech/get-ready-for-robot-farmers-100613764059.html

I think that this automatic farming system is a pretty cool thing that will help farms become more efficient. I think that that is awesome because the more food that farms produce the more food the world will have. I also think that it shows a lot of potential. The idea has a decent chance of catching on a being implemented on a larger scale than on small lettuce farms on California. I could see this technology being used in the fields of Iowa in the near future. The technology also shows that robotics has a pretty promising future in today's society. Robots are really useful for doing things that are either very stressful on the human body or are just not even possible. With less people working in jobs that involve manual labor their will be more people working on jobs that will help come up with new ideas for improving society (I'm not saying that jobs that involve manual labor are not important, but I am pretty sure that most people would rather have jobs that let them express their own ideas and opinions).

Hopefully more jobs that involve intense manual labor can take advantage of technology to make the lives of the people doing those jobs more easily. I think that in the very near future self automated farming equipment could be a very common sight in farming areas such as the mid-west. I also think that robotics will be more wide-spread in a variety of job areas.

Word Count: 368

The iPad Air 2

Last week apple announced its new iPad that it will be releasing soon. It is called the iPad Air 2 (the iPad Air 1 was released last year), and it boasts a lot of improvements upon the older versions of the tablet. These improvements include a screen that reflects less light, a 40% faster processor, and faster wi-fi capabilities.

Link to the original article with more information on the features of the iPad: https://www.yahoo.com/tech/hey-kids-its-time-to-play-apple-announcement-100629550179.html

I think that the improvements that apple is making on the iPad are pretty good. Apple plans on making the tablet even more slim than it already is (the tablet will be less than a quarter of an inch thick). I think that this improvement is awesome because when using a tablet you will most likely have to be holding it. By making the tablet thinner and lighter, apple is making it easier to hold. This trend is going on in all areas of current day technology. People are figuring out ways to pack the same amount of processing power in smaller objects. I only see technology getting smaller and smaller until it is so small that you barely even notice the device itself but instead notice the features of the software. Another improvement that apple is making upon the older versions of the iPad is making the screen less reflective. This is awesome because I think that using an iPad or any other mobile device that has a screen outside is a complete pain in the butt. It will be nice to be able to use things such as iPads outside without losing your sight in the process. Apple also took steps to improve upon the camera. The camera now boasts a higher definition, but that is really it. I don't think that they needed to improve upon previous versions of the iPad's camera because people usually don't take their iPad to tourist attractions to take pictures with it and they usually don't usually iPads to take pictures of themselves to put on social networks (that is what phones are for nowadays). The new iPad also features a TouchID system that makes it so that it works with the new Apple Pay system. I think that this is pretty cool because Apple Pay is going to be used by many mainstream retailers, and it is made out to be a much simpler way to pay for items at places such as grocery stores and online.

Personally, I think that the steps that apple is taking to improve on its previous versions of the iPad are in the right direction. They are doing a great job of improving upon the basic concepts of the iPad. Hopefully, though, apple will take some steps in the future to make more noticeable changes to the design of the iPad to help keep the tablet world moving along.

Word Count: 478

Apple 1 Sold for 1 Million Dollars

This week the one of the first computers that apple ever made was sold in auction for 902,000 dollars. The computer was one of 200 apple 1's that were hand made by apple in Steve Jobs' basement in 1976. The original price of the system back in the day was $666.66, so the price has obviously inflated quite a bit. The computer is in working condition, and it is one of 50 of the computers that are known to still currently exist. The computer will be put on display at the Henry Ford Organization's museum in Dearborn, Michigan.

Link to the article with information on the auction: https://www.yahoo.com/tech/early-apple-computer-sold-at-auction-for-nearly-1-100745483269.html

Personally, I think that it is pretty cool to see the apple 1 sell for that much money on auction. The selling of the computer at around 1 million dollars helps show that the computer was very important in shaping the personal computer and technology revolution. The computer was the first of its kind a led apple to where it is today. Without the invention of the apple 1 many of the gadgets that we have today, even the ones that aren't made by apple, probably wouldn't be here. 

I also think that is awesome that museums and personal collectors are trying to make sure that the computers are still in existence. Remnants of the start of the computer revolution, such as the apple 1 that was sold this week, help us understand how far things have come in such a short amount of time. The apple 1 helps to show us that technology is always being improved upon. It shows us that we should only expect the best to come in the future because technology improves at an extremely high rate.

Hopefully I will be able to stop by the museum and be able to see the apple 1 one day. I think that it would be a very interesting thing to see and I think that it would be an inspiring experience for anyone that wants to push the limits of technology. It helps show us that we can only expect more from our smart phones, mobile devices, and personal computers as the years go on.

Word Count: 366

Apple's New iMac

Rumors have been spread around the internet that the newest addition of Apple's premium computer, the i Mac, will feature a 5k retina display (yes, that is 1k more than 4k, the supposed standard for the future of displays). Recently those rumors were confirmed when Apple revealed its new 27 inch Mac that will have a 5k monitor. The new iMac boasts a top of the line radeon series graphics card that powers the 27 inch 5k resolution display and will also feature an Intel core i5 processor in the default model model (of course there will be options to upgrade the processor and graphics card, this is Apple after all). The starting model of the new iMac will be priced at $2,499 (some stand-alone 4k monitors are being sold for the same price, so it is a great deal for those who are looking for a monitor with an extremely high resolution because it is a two in one package).

Link to original article with more information on Apple's new iMac: 

https://www.yahoo.com/tech/apples-imac-with-5k-retina-display-may-just-blow-away-100174879614.html

I think that Apple's move to push the limits of high resolution displays is great and that is a glance into the future of high definition display technology. People want to see crisp images when they watch TV and browse the internet. Personally, I found that the upgrade from 720p monitors to 1080p monitors was a great thing. I remember how amazed I was when I upgraded my computer monitor to 1080p and saw how much of an improvement it was over 720p. From what I understand, the difference between the image qualities on  4k monitors and 1080p monitors is even greater than the difference between the image qualities on 720p and 1080p monitors. The pricing on the computer is also pretty good, considering the pricing of monitors with a similar resolution to that of the computer. The computer offers great computing power and an insanely crisp display for only $2,499 (to the average eye that seems like a steep price but it is actually a pretty good deal). Apple is also pushing the edges of current day technology with the insanely sleek appearance of the computer. All of the hardware components that make up the computer are positioned inside the 27 inch monitor. For me that would mean more space in my computer space, which would be great because my computer and monitor take up approximately one fourth of the space. I hope that other companies will come out with new extremely high resolution monitors so the pricing of 4k monitors comes down. When the price for the monitors comes down and when 4k resolution programming becomes more widespread I have a feeling that a 4k resolution display will be found in the living rooms of most houses in the United States. I am looking forward to seeing the improvement in image quality that 4k resolution monitors offer.

Word Count: 482

 

FBI Director Warns That Smartphone Encryption Will Come with Consequences

Last Thursday FBI Director James Comey spoke about the affect that smartphone encryption will have on law enforcement in the following years. During his speech he concluded that smartphone encryption would end up having a negative affect on the law enforcement process and that smart phone encryption really didn't have that much of a purpose other than as a marketing scheme. This sparked a lot of controversy over the topic.

Link to original article with more information on the issue and the speech:
https://www.yahoo.com/tech/fbi-director-warns-that-smartphone-encryption-will-come-100237542264.html

Personally, I think that the encryption of data stored on smart phones will be a good thing for the safety of the public. While it may lead to a slower processing time of things like murder cases phone encryption will help tremendously with problems that face most of the public that are pretty serious. Phone encryption will help keep the data that people have stored on their phones secret and only accessible by them. This will help keep stuff such as credit card numbers from getting into the wrong hands. Also, with the ever increasing encryption levels on smart phone data, less information will be leaked out to foreign governments and organizations. This will end up protecting the United States as a whole because data on a population can be used for lots of terrible things.

I am looking forward to having increased encryption levels on the data on smart phones. I think that it would be pretty bad if someone were to get my phone and take all of the information that it had about me that was on it.I also think that increased data encryption will be great because it will make the public calm down about the Edward Snowden incident that involved the government.As technology becomes even more lodged into everyone's lives even more important information will be put onto our devices. Hopefully increasing security measures will help to keep that information personal.

Word Count: 320

Internet TV Gains HBO and CBS

Recently, HBO and CBS have put up subscription-based services that are giving subscribers the opportunity to tune into the shows that they want to watch at any time. The subscription based online services let users stream content instead of getting it of off the local cable or satellite service and also lets users tap into thousands of episodes of TV shows that have been featured on the channel such as Everybody Loves Raymond and the Big Bang Theory. The subscription fee (at least for CBS) will be $5.99 a month.

Link to article with more information on the specifics of the releases: https://www.yahoo.com/tech/consumers-win-as-internet-tv-gains-hbo-cbs-100343817824.html

Personally, I think that the move that CBS and HBO are making to let users choose the exact stations that they want to pay for is a step in the right direction for the entertainment industry. I also think that many other content providers will jump on the band wagon and will start to offer subscription based services that let people stream what they want to watch whenever they want to watch it. One of the major advantages of having multiple subscription based services that people have access to is that people don't have to pay for what they don't watch. Today it seems like you almost have to many channels and your cable service pack, and you rarely even watch half of the stations on your TV (I don't even watch TV anymore). This makes it seem like a waste because you are paying more for things that you don't even use. With a subscription based system users could subscribe only to the services that they want to stay in tune with. This could bring entertainment subscription fees down from over $100 to less than $50. One thing that is holding up the process of integrating the internet and television is sports broadcasting. It costs a lot of money to buy out the rights to broadcast a sporting event. I hope that this ends up not becoming that much of a problem and that the sports world will eventually move over to the internet in a similar fashion to movies and TV shows.

Hopefully the switch to internet based subscription services will be soon so I will be able to save a lot of money when I eventually move out of my house. I am looking forward to being able to pick what I want to watch and to having the ability to watch whatever I want whenever I want to watch it.

Word Count: 417

Lenovo's Yoga Pro 3 is Leading the Race for the Perfect 2 in 1 Laptop

Lenovo's Yoga Pro 2 was the best selling 2 in 1 laptop of all time and was well-known for its solid combination of performance and ergonomic qualities. This means that it is no surprise that there is a lot of hype for the newest version of the laptop the Lenovo is preparing to release: the Lenovo Yoga Pro 3. The laptop is planned to release next year and is going to be thinner, lighter, and posses more processing power and amazing tech-specs than before.

Link to an article that describes the specific features of the latop: https://www.yahoo.com/tech/lenovos-yoga-pro-3-hybrid-is-a-2-in-1-macbook-pro-99083254934.html

Personally, I think that Lenovo's efforts at providing a great hybrid between a tablet and a laptop are not only valiant but successful. The Lenovo Yoga Pro V2 showed that the hybrids between a laptop and a tablet have great potential, and are only going find an ever increasing steak in the mobile technology market. I think that it would be awesome to own a hybrid  between a tablet and a laptop (even though I haven't had any hands on experience with one of these hybrid laptops). In my experience I have found that tablets are great for browsing the web and watching videos, while laptops are great for getting work done (because it is way easier to type with an actual keyboard). These hybrids, if designed well, could be a great way to combine productivity and leisure activity. The specs (tech term for specifications or details on the design of the product) suggest that the new version of the hybrid is going to be a great combination of high end processing power and ergonomic design. One of the features of the hybrid laptop that I like the most is its super high definition display that is 3200 x 1800 pixels. This makes for an extremely sharp image that rivals that of Apple's retina display (basically makes it so that corners are super smooth and that everything is really crisp). Although this feature of the device isn't that noticeable at the moment, the implementation of 4k resolution in things such as TV will make this feature on the laptop more and more valuable.

Hopefully more companies try to develop their own 2 in 1 laptop-tablet-hybrids. I hope to see better and better designs in the future, and I think that if the idea is implemented in the right way it has a lot of potential.

Word Count: 402

Sony's First Smart Phone for Verizon: The Z3v

Last Thursday, Sony announced that it is bringing one of its most recent phones exclusively to Verizon: the Xperia Z3v. This is a big step for the company because Verizon is the largest cell phone service provider in the United States, so Sony is taking steps to expand its smart phone market into the United States. The Xperia Z3v is a cross between Sony's top of the line Xperia Z3 and its previous version the Z2.

Link to article with more information on the new phone: https://www.yahoo.com/tech/sony-announces-its-first-smartphone-for-verizon-the-99580097679.html

Personally, I think that Sony's effort to expanding their market to the United States is great. Sony is known for producing products such as TVs and video game consoles. From my personal experience with their devices I have found that produce things that are well designed and that last a long time. This makes me excited for future lines of phones that they produce, as good design and sturdy structure are some of the most important (if not the most important) properties of phones. As for the actual phone itself, I think that it makes solid competition for other phones such as the iPhone 5 and the Galaxy series from Samsung. The only problem with the phone is that it lacks the slick, thin appearance and feel of phones such as the iPhone 6 and the Galaxy S3, which are phones that have set the standard for the next generation of phones to come with their appearance and feel. One thing that the phone does not lack is processing power. It has all the same tech specs as its brother, the Sony Xperia Z3, and features a quad core processor for peak performance. The phone also runs the same operating system of the Z3. The phone is also capable of playing back extremely high quality audio, which offers a much greater experience for the user than the traditional mp3.

Hopefully Sony continues to expand its market to the United States. This would help increase the competition within the mobile phone market, and would help advance the industry at a faster rate than it already advancing at. And who knows, maybe Sony will emerge as the new top of the mobile phone market in the coming years.

Word Count: 373

Apple Pay

With the release of Apple's Apple Pay coming around the corner and the recent security breaches of big corporations such as Target and JP Morgan many people are worried about the safety of their credit card information. In order to ensure the safety of its customers Apple has worked in close coordination with banks, credit card companies, and retailers to develop a system that is efficient and that helps keep things private.

Link to article where the details of the system are explained: https://www.yahoo.com/tech/heres-how-visa-plans-to-keep-your-credit-cards-safe-in-99672113099.html

Personally, I think that the efforts that Apple is taking to ensure the safety of their customers' personal information are great strides compared to what has been done in the past by other attempts at making electronic payment systems. Apple has used a great level of coordination with retailers, banks, and credit card companies in order to develop their Apple Pay system. I am glad that the system that they developed helps keep the process of paying for items as simple as possible. One thing that I think is great about the system that they set up is that the code that links your phone to your credit card and or bank account cannot be used to gather your personal information. This means that hackers, who will most likely be able to find some way to gather the codes, will not be able to use codes that they have acquired to tap into the bank information of their victims. Another great feature of the payment system is the ability of the owner of the phone to disable the ability for their phone to be able to make payments. This means that if you were to lose your phone or have it stolen you could call your cell phone service and make it so that anyone who might have your phone wouldn't be able to run up your bills. Although this part of the system might seem to be a no brainer, it is a great part of the system that adds an extra layer of information safety.

I think that Apple's Apple Pay is a great step forward for the consumer and technology worlds. Apple Pay is a perfect example of ways that technology can be used to make everyday tasks more convenient. Since the this is going to be the first version of the payment system there are going to be some bugs (you can't really avoid that), but I am pretty sure that one thing you can expect is that your credit card and bank information will be kept safe. I am very impressed with the thought and shear amount of work that went into developing Apple Pay on Apple's hand. Hopefully the launch of the system will run smoothly so the idea will catch on with the public so everyone can take advantage of this great technology.

Word Count: 466

Windows 10 Preview Download

Earlier in the year Microsoft announced the name of the latest edition of the Windows operating system that they were developing. The OS is going to be called Windows 10 (nobody knows why they skipped Windows 9 from Windows 8 and decided to just go to Windows 10), and is planned to be released in the spring of 1025 at the earliest. The operating system has been shown off at multiple tech events and demos around the world, and is basically an improvement upon the Windows 8 operating system.
On October 1st Microsoft released the Windows 10 preview to the general public. The preview shows off the basic abilities and improvements that the OS has, one of which is  the ability to display four applications at once on one screen. This installment of Windows is basically a reskin of Windows 8 with the return of the Start Menu that was characteristic of pre-Windows 8 Windows Operating Systems. This is great news to me because that is the main reason that I do not like Windows 8. Microsoft plans to increase the abilities of the user to multitask. As mentioned previously, one of these features is the ability to display four windows on one monitor at once. The company also plans to increase the productivity of its users by making the operating system run flawlessly on computers. It will also be more customizable. Microsoft also plans to make the operating system runnable on other devices such as xBoxes, smart phones, and tablets. This makes it so that they are able to easily implement cross platform content. This makes for a more unified technological experience. Just imagine being able to operate all of the devices in your house, such as your TV, with your smart phone or your computer.
I think that the release of the preview of Windows 10 helps to show the progress that companies such as Microsoft are making in the technology that they develop. As the years go on technology gets more weaved into our lives and becomes a better and better way to help maximize, or minimize, our productivity. I hope that Windows 10 is a great success not only in the world of PCs but in the world of smart phones and mobile tablets as well.

Word Count: 380

Is Apple's New Watch the Next Big Thing?

Ever since the creation of Apple the company has been pushing the world of technology forward in the form of many products. Apple was responsible for pushing the world forward into the era of the personal computer. Apple has also contributed to the rise of mobile devices, such as iPads and iPhones, and has set the the standard for technological innovation. Recently Apple has announced that they are developing an Apple or "smart" watch. The watch will have its on operating system, and users will be able to develop applications to run on it to help them accomplish tasks and to even just mess around.

The basic model of the watch is estimated to be priced at around 349 dollars. The price of the models can greatly differ, however, with the priciest model potentially being priced at over ten thousand dollars (this was predicted by watch specialist and writer named Ariel Adams). Apple took a great amount of time and care to design the product. Analysts who have gotten a chance to get their hands on the product have said that they were able to tell that there was a lot of consideration put into the design of the watch and its components. They said that even the wristband was carefully designed so that it could maximize the user experience (Apple has been known to put a ridiculous amount of effort into the design of their products ever since their creation.)

One of the most promising features of the watch is its ability to connect to the internet. This opens up a world of opportunities for software developers around the world. Since the watch will have so much processing power for its size people will be able to develop apps that can be used as great tools. many analysts have said that the main selling point for the watch probably won't be the actual hardware, but it will be some app that somebody design that takes great advantage of the capabilities of the device.

I personally think that wearable tech such as the watch that Apple developing will be a major part for our lives in future years. I think that the iWatch will be a great balance between the tech world and the actual world as its function is to not intrude upon the way that you do things but to be there as a type of assistant (This is why I don't think that something like Google Glass will become popular, it intrudes upon the interactions that you have with people everyday). Hopefully inventions such as the iWatch continue to pop up around the world and help increase the productivity and creativity of everyone.

Word Count: 446

Disney Brings Creatvitiy to the Wedding Cake Industry

Many people spend a large amount of money to make their wedding the best that it can be. Thousands of dollars are spent on dresses, venues , cakes, and more that last for only a couple hours of the day. One of the most important parts of weddings is the cake (after all it is what motivates the people to come in the first place). There are many types of wedding cakes that are made for weddings, and it is safe to assume that there is a wedding cake suitable for every type of person and the personal style. Some people want simple, elegant cakes, while others want extraordinary cakes the are as tall as a man or have rare chocolates and flavors.
Disney decided to step up the cake game and provide for those that want to add flare to their cakes in the form of moving images and messages. They do this by projecting the images onto the cake in a similar process to that of overhead projections. The example that they have working right now projects a "scene" from Cinderella, but couples will be able to customize the animations on the cake to be whatever they want. For example, a couple could put their favorites quotes on their cake and make the quotes fade in and out and move to different places on the cake. Currently, they include it in their "Wishes Collection" wedding catering package and nothing else. The package costs twelve thousand dollars, but is definitely worth it to die hard Disney fans (who doesn't want the seven dwarfs at their wedding?).
I think that the idea that Disney came up with is a great example of how technology can be used to make our lives more interesting and less complicated. It is a great way to customize the cakes and really cater to the needs of every couple that is getting married. Also, the cake projection idea makes it cheaper to buy a customized cake. It will no longer be as expensive because you could just buy a stand alone cake with a projector and then design whatever pattern or scene that you want to appear on the cake. Hopefully the technology becomes more widespread in the following years. I hope that when I get married I will be able to customize my cake to my liking and not be limited by the price or the fact that is a cake. So hopefully this technology becomes easier to obtain.

Word Count: 415

Restaurant Technology Implementation

For a long time the standards of fine dining have been held at a constant. Go to a restaurant, sit down at a nice table and talk face to face with some friends, get yours orders, and then eat. Recently though, as technology becomes an even bigger part of everyday life, you find more and more people willing to sacrifice the traditional dining experience for a more modern one that integrates technology into the dining experience. Many restaurants around the world are implementing technology into their serving techniques. One example of this can be found in some Applebees around the world in the form of a tablet that functions as a menu and an entertainment device. This lets diners see what they want to order with an interactive interface but it also provides a way for diners to entertain themselves. Now diners can share YouTube videos with eachother or browse social networking sites. Some restaurants are integrating technology into their dining experience to an even greater degree. This can be found in a restaurant in Japan where the user can hook up to a server and order their food from a mobile device that is found on the table. The food is then sent on a conveyor belt to the diner's table. After the diners are done with their meal they put their plates in a slot where the system calculates the total cost of the dinner. The restaurant also implements a system that makes diners want to eat more. They do this by providing games and special awards to diners after every fifth plate that they buy. Personally, I think that the integration of technology to dining could be a great thing if done well. Hopefully the face to face experience that today's dining gives is still preserved, but I think that being able to share some of the things that you find on the internet while talking to your friends at the dinner table would greatly enhance the quality of dining. The benefits of a social food network could also lead to some really tasty dishes for anyone's tastes. One thing that I do not want to see in fine dining is the elimination of the chefs that cook the food. I think that the fact that actual humans cook the food is an important part of our culture that should stay. The human cooked food also adds a bit of variance that helps keep eating at fine restaurants with friends an enjoyable experience. If a robot were to cook the food at fine restaurants I don' t think that the food would be nearly as interesting nor do I think that the experience would be nearly as exciting.

Word Count: 451

Inventor of World Wide Web warns of threat to the internet

The world wide web is a crucial part of modern day life. Ever since the invention of the world wide web governments all around the world have had the opportunity to tap into much of your personal information. This was not an intended side effect of the internet, and one of the creators of the world wide web, computer scientist Tim Berners-Lee, gave a warning to the world that governments and corporations are becoming a bigger threat to the freedom that everyone should have while browsing the web. Recently the thought of controlling the internet has become even more tempting to big corporations and governments. By controlling which websites a person visits one can control many aspects of their life. An example of this power can be found in the political world. If a government blocks a certain political page, mainly the opposing party's page, they can skew the views of the public and control the way they see things. This kind of control over the internet can be found in countries around the world, especially in underdeveloped ones such as North Korea. The inventor of the internet called for something similar to the Magna Carta to help guarantee certain rights and freedoms for those who use the internet. The increased awareness of internet privacy in recent times is largely due to the information which was leaked by former US intelligence contractor Edward Snowden. Also, the European Union recently had a vote on an act called the "right to be forgotten". This act allows users of the internet to ask search engines such as Yahoo or Google to remove links that had them in them. This helps keep the privacy of users on the internet. Personally, I think that the internet should be a place where you don't have to worry about being spied on by the government. Many people spend most of their time on computers, and therefore are under the eyes of the government for most of the day. For me that makes a weird feeling in my stomach. I'm sure that there can be a happy and secure medium that helps to ensure the freedom of the internet but also helps keep people safe all around the world. The internet should be a place where people can spread around their ideas and have fun.

Word Count: 386

The iPhone 6

The long awaited iPhone 6 was released to the public on September 19. The phone took a big step up from previous versions of the iPhone to something that is more comparable to android phones such as the galaxy. The iPhone 6 features a larger screen with the same pixel density as the iPhone 5s, so the image looks just as crisp as it did before. The phone also features a camera which takes higher quality pictures and can also capture videos in up to sixty frames per second. The back of the phone is covered with metal to help keep it from cracking when it falls down to the ground. This is a characteristic that many of the android phones share in common. Before the iPhone 6 iPhones had plastic or glass cases that made it easy for the screen to shatter if it was dropped on the ground. The new case does a great job of helping to prevent this problem, but the metal that the case is made out of is very bendable. There has been a big discussion over the build quality of the phone because of its tendency to bend to extreme angles, a quality which you don't want a phone to have. Previous versions of the iPhone have not had this problem, but due to the change in material of the case the iphone 6 exhibits this problem. A video was made that showed how far the screen could bent. After the release of the video that value of apple stocks went down three percent. The news of the bendy screen went around the world. I think that the iPhone 6 is a great phone that can compete with any android phone out there. Personally, I like the apple os more than android because it is a lot more simple and straight forward. I have also been able to use an iPhone 6 myself, because one of my friends got one, and I can say that it was one of the best designed phones that I have ever held. Hopefully apple continues to produce quality products for our generation that will help us make our chaotic lives easier. They helped open up the age of the personal computer and also helped develop the concept of the smart phone and portable music players. I hope that apple continues to stay at the top of the mobile industry and produce quality products.

Word Count: 406

FTC Leagues

This week FTC Iowa announced the League Play leagues for all the registered teams in Iowa. League Play is a new system implemented by FTC that divides states into regions and leagues for robot competition. In order to advance to further levels of competition such as state competitions and Super Regionals teams must battle their robots in leagues. Our team is pretty happy with our league, as we have a pretty even division of teams that have good robots. Our league has both of the Metro teams and some other teams such as Jefferson. During league play little tournaments will be held on the weekends, and the only thing that will be judged will be robot performance. So, teams will have to put a much larger emphasis on the actual robot this year if they want to have a chance of advancing to state and super regionals. Hopefully our league will have great and exciting competitions and will also help unite local teams in the area!

Word Count: 168

FTC Season Brainstorming

Last week our team, team 6121, had several brainstorming sessions that helped us decide what we wanted to do for our robot that we are going to take to competitions this year. During these brainstorming session s our team bounced several ideas back and forth, some good and some bad, and we ended up coming up with some great ideas that we will probably use during the season. First, we discussed what type of drive train we wanted to have. We narrowed it down to either a four wheel drive or a west coast drive system (where there are six wheels and the middle wheel on each side is moved slightly towards the floor). After we narrowed down the types of drive systems that we wanted we went to build prototypes of each system. we currently have one side of the west coast drive system completely built and another side in the making. We have also gotten the four wheel drive robot completely done. During the brainstorming session we also discussed possible ways for our robot to score points. We ended up deciding to use vacuum tubing to scoop the balls in from the front and into a dumper which would be raised to the appropriate height using a lift. We thought that this idea would be the best for scoring. We also thought of having hooks on the back of the robot that would grab onto the tubes that held the balls so we could pull them along with us so we could score faster.

Word Count: 259

FTC Wiring

There are a lot of things that can go wrong when a FTC team is in competition. There can be many mechanical problems and electrical problems. One of the many problems that FTC teams face is wiring all of the motors and sensors on their robot. Wiring the components of the robot is often a phase of the development process of FTC robots that is forgotten, even though it is very important. Bad wiring can lead to many different problems, and can be very hard to troubleshoot. You often find teams with very well designed robots that fail at the competition because their robots wiring is bad. One of the problems that can be caused by bad wiring is disconnection of the samantha module, which is the relay between the NXT (the "brains" of the robot) and the field control system (the wifi network that keeps all the robots in sync and that coordinates controller movements). If the samantha module disconnects the team who controls the robot loses all control. Often times disconnection of the samantha module leads to broken parts on the robot because when it disconnects motors will often times continue to run in the same direction. This causes the motors to burn out and it also causes some parts of the robot to just snap. Another problem that can sprout from poor wiring on the robots is disconnecting of some of the motors on the robot. A lot of times teams use daisy chains to circulate the power throughout the components of the robot. The problem with daisy chains is that if any of the wires in the chain disconnect the power to the rest of the robot goes out. So, often times you find teams that have loose wires in their robots that utilize daisy chain connections. This leads to their demise, and you often times see their robots just sitting on the field or just driving around because they are not able to move certain parts of their robot because they are disconnected. In our teams experience we have had problems with wiring. So far, we have used daisy chaining to wire our robots, and we usually run into at least one wiring problem at every competition. This year we plan on putting wiring high up on our list for things to carefully consider about and we will make sure that we use wiring methods that have worked for other successful teams. We looked online and found a manual that goes over different types of tips for wiring in FTC, and we plan on following this guide intensely. We hope that it will help our robot perform to its best, as it has helped other perform to their best as well. One of the problems that the guide covers is new ways to wire the robot other than daisy chaining to help prevent problems that come up when the teams use daisy chaining. The way that the guide proposes to fix the daisy chaining problem is to use a new power scheme, being the anderson power pole. This scheme makes it so that each motor controller on the robot has a direct connection back to the main power supply. This makes it so that single components of the robot can't disconnect, and helps with robot performance. Another problem that the manual addresses is the problem of the connectors of the batteries. Often times the battery connections will loosen over time because they are not designed for the rigorous usage that is characteristic of a FTC season. The guide says that you can solve this problem very easily by splitting the wire and then replacing the connectors. We actually did this last year before the state competition. We realized that we needed to make the improvement after we had a problem at one of our qualifiers with our power connection shorting out. It was pretty annoying for that competition, but we were able to fix the problem by the state competition, where we were able to enjoy having a robot that didn't randomly cut out on us because of power connection problems. The wiring guide also goes over ways to help keep the wiring tied down on your robot. They suggest heavy use of zip ties and wire hooks to keeps the wiring nice and clean. Last season we took advantage of this and it helped us a lot. During our first year of competition we had issues with messy wiring at one of our competitions, and it led to our robot not even moving for half of some matches. hopefully our team is able to keep on improving our wiring from year to year!

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How Could 3D Printing Pens be Used in the Design Process?

There is always an awkward moment in FTC when someone comes up with an idea to solve a problem and nobody can really picture the solution that they proposed in their head. In order to solve this problem and eliminate these awkward moments teams use sketches to convey their ideas so everybody can understand what they are thinking about. Sketching is a very important part of the design process and the more realistic you can make things look while sketching them the better the sketch. One element that sketches lack is a third dimension. Sketches are done on flat pieces of paper, and one has to imagine what the object or mechanism would look like in three dimensions. One company has developed a pen that can sketch in three dimensions. The pen is called LIX, and it is based off of the same principle that makes 3D printers work. The pen heats up a plastic filament that is fed through its base. The filament is then fed out the end of the pen and onto the surface that you are drawing on. The plastic is pretty sticky and will hold onto just about anything. You can use the pen to draw 3D objects such as a box. Here is a video that highlights the features of the pen.

The pen is obviously still in the works and is being improved upon every day. At this moment it can only be used to sketch out pretty simple 3D models, but it is not developed enough to sketch out things such as gears. Hopefully this technology continues to improve so it can be used to help people develop solutions to simple and complex problems around the world!  

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FTC 2014-2015 Cascade Effect: A Robot in Three Days

Starting last Saturday, FTC teams across the country started on the race to build a robot that can compete at a high level in competitions throughout the season. One team accomplished this goal in a matter of three days, and uploaded videos to YouTube that described the process that they used to build the robot in such a short amount of time. The "team" that built the robot resides in Florida and is actually composed of members of two teams ( team 4997 "Masquerade" and team 5937 "Renaissance Robotics" ). They started the process of making their robot by analyzing the game and choosing the way that they wanted to play it. After they had figured out what they wanted the robot to do, they had brainstorming sessions where they would come up with designs for the robot that could achieve the tasks that they wanted it to do. After the brainstorming session the team narrowed down on the ideas that they wanted to implement on their robot and started prototyping and building!

Analyzing the Game

Prototyping

After the team had used prototyping to figure out how they would build the individual components of their robot they went on to build what would be there final robot. They documented their building days by live-streaming them and then posting them on YouTube. The videos really show the process that every team goes through when they build their robot. Often times things don't go the way teams think they will. Sometimes your measurements are off by a quarter of an inch or you have to completely redesign something. Nevertheless, teams make it through the process and come out with great, quality robots.

Live-Stream Video

After the team had finished the robot they made a demo video that displayed what their robot could do. Even after the team had made a successful robot they still admitted that there were problems with it. This is a crucial part of the process of building robots for FTC because the winning robots are the ones that have been tweaked so that they run efficiently and consistently. Overall, this robot is a great tool for many teams that are developing their own robots for this year's game, and it gives a great look into how the game will probably be played.

Demo Video

Robot Analysis Video

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FTC 2014-2015 Reveal Animation: Cascade Effect

Each year FTC (FIRST Tech Challenge) implements a game for teams that dictates the design of their robots. The release of the game is very important, as it marks the beginning of the process that FTC teams go through to design, build, and compete with their robots. The game from last year was called Block Party, and the main scoring elements were the blocks that were placed on the floor at the beginning of each match. During the period of the match the main goal of the game was to pick the blocks up and score them in a pendulum located on the side of the center piece. During the period of the match teams could also hang themselves on a pole and raise a flag.

Last year's game animation: Block Party

This weekend the animation for this year's FTC game was released to teams all around the country. Many reveal events were held in several states. These events gave teams early access to the game animation, which was released on the internet later during the day, and they also gave the teams a chance to see the field put together. This year's game is called Cascade Effect. The main scoring components of the game are the two sizes of wiffle balls that get scattered across the floor when a robot triggers the cascade effect. During the course of the game, the main goal is to take the wiffle balls and put them into one of your team's goals (the tubes that are thirty centimeters, sixty centimeters, and ninety centimeters tall). The points are totaled based off of how many centimeters high you stack the balls up in each goal. One centimeter worth of height is worth a different amount of points in each goal, with the amount of points that it is worth increasing with the height of the goals. In the thirty centimeter goal each centimeter is worth one point, in the sixty centimeter goal each centimeter is worth two points, and in the ninety centimeter goal each centimeter is worth three points.

This year's game animation: Cascade Effect

After the game animation is revealed, many teams start the design process by identifying problems and figuring out how they want to play the game. Since you have a very short amount of time during tele-op period (two minutes) you have to worry about which tasks you want to get done. This is because accomplishing all of the tasks is nearly impossible. For example, in last year's game there was a thirty second period during the end of the tele-op period that allowed the alliances to spin a flag and hang themselves on a bar. It would be very difficult for one robot to be able to spin the flag and hang itself in that period, so most teams chose to either do one or the other. After the teams figure out how they want to play the game, they start coming up with ideas for the design of the robot that cater to their style of play. For example, if a team wanted to be able to push other teams around they might come up with the idea of having four wheel drive to increase drive power. They might also think of increasing the weight of the robot, so other teams couldn't push them around. 

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