Sunday, October 26, 2014

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

Sunday, October 19, 2014

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

Sunday, October 12, 2014

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

Sunday, October 5, 2014

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