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.
Word Count: 489
Sunday, November 2, 2014
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.
Word Count: 397
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.
Word Count: 397
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
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
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
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
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