Lifeline

We are living in an age where we are constantly connected to the rest of the world no matter where we are.  With the help of cell phones people can access you whenever they want.  It used to be that if you were home you were able to have a telephone conversation and if you were out then you were socializing with face to face communication or you were running errands without being on your phone while checking out at a cash register.  Now, if your boss needs to get in touch with you they can email, text, call and expect to be able to reach you wherever you are.  With the help of smartphones we can now be constantly connected to the internet and receive breaking news updates or facebook updates from our friends.  However, I don’t necessarily think that this constant connection is a negative concept.  While I find that it is nice to be able to shut my cell phone down occasionally and just be in the “live” moment where I’m not distracted by the buzzing of my cell phone, I just read an article about a girl who was able to connect with her mother in what she thought could be the last moments of her life. 

A couple weeks ago she was just a teenage girl at a camp for youth in Utoya Island, Norway and now she is a survivor of a mass shooting that killed 76 people.  After the shooting began Julie Bremnes texted her mother to ask her to contact the police and she stated that there was people dying at the camp.  http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/43911634/ns/today-today_news/t/chilling-text-exchange-provides-window-norway-terror/- this article shows the text conversation that Julie had with her mother in what she feared was her last moments.  Luckily, Julie was able to stay hidden and out of the gunmen’s sight. 

I remember hearing similar stories after 9/11 of family members receiving phone calls from their loved ones who were on the plane and who desperately wanted to say goodbye. With the help of technology they were able to do just that.  While this may not be the most uplifting of my blogs I think it’s important to remember that while technology can sometimes seem daunting and at times even scary to think we are carrying a constant tracker in our pockets or purses- these items can be our lifelines in event the scariest of moments.  

Back to School

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xHN5Z-djWcw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glquKfXhLFo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ayTnynojdtE

It’s August 3rd and for almost a month the back to school commercials have been in full bloom.  Every year we see new clothing, school supply, and technology advertisements so we can prepare both ourselves and our children for the school year ahead.  But, when looking to purchase big technology pieces like a laptop, who really makes the best kind?  And, are some laptops better for certain majors rather than others?  What if the only thing the buyer cares about is the price?  Well here are a few articles I found on purchasing a computer. 

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/43902197/ns/technology_and_science-tech_and_gadgets/

http://kb.doit.wisc.edu/showroom/page.php?id=3045

Netflix

I have been a loyal member of Netflix since 2006.  I have enjoyed being able to keep a movie for an extended length of time without the fine of a late fee and also being able to stream an unlimited amount of shows and movies from my computer or my PS3.  However, since Netflix has made some changes to its plan, I have changed my membership to include only the streaming feature. 

For a long time Netflix was the only company in the industry who ran a program like this.  You could rent 1,2, or 3 movies at a time, watch one and pop it back in the mail and in a couple days you would receive your next DVD from your queue.  You could keep the DVD for weeks on end and so what if you didn’t have a chance to watch it- there are no late fees!  Just like we are seeing the decline of bookstores and music stores, there are very few movie rental stores left.  Blockbuster has closed all of its locations in the vicinity of my home.  They then created a plan that was similar to Netflix and then after Red Box came along they created a Blockbuster box where you can rent a movie for $1 a day (same as Red Box). 

I just visited the Blockbuster site where they have a specific advertisement for Netflix members who are looking to switch.  Though, there prices don’t seem to be too much different than Netflix, some members may switch just because they are angry. 

  

There are also many new websites that offer streaming plans: hulu, amazon, and even Walmart are now streaming television shows and movies.  http://www.cnn.com/2011/TECH/web/07/26/walmart.movie.streaming/index.html- this article discusses Walmart’s new plan that they rolled out this past week.  Has anyone used any of these other sites?  I know you need special viewing boxes for Hulu, Amazon, and Walmart.