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Now 10 years later when we have the shiny Windows 7 out, and Windows 8 coming out soon, we must remember the OS that changed it all, Windows XP. This is the reason we have all these things that we didn't have before like talking to friends via our PC, Wireless networking and more. Happy birthday Windows XP, you are always better than Vista.

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Live long and prosper, Windows XP. After 10 years, yes, 10 YEARS, Windows XP is still the world's most-used desktop OS. Hindered by the 9/11 attacks, the October 25, 2011 release date did not produce the results Windows was looking for. Once it got big, though, it surpassed all others for longevity, and continues on today. 

Social media has exploded over the years and become a huge part of all of our lives. From facebook to twitter, from instagram to tumblr, everywhere we look there's some kind of social media being thrust in front of us. It has appeared so often that we have grown used to it. It's not unusual when someone stops to update their twitter or upload a picture of their lunch to instagram. There's that sense of excitement when your phone buzzes to tell you that you've been retweeted or your post has been liked. Social media has become part of our lifestyle and it's a great benefit to have. It allows you to keep in contact with relatives and friends and stay updated on the lives of those around you, but have we started to become too reliant on this advantage. This article had provided a look at various social media addicts, like 'the liker' and 'the constant checker' and despite the humorous aspect to it, you can still see a slightly more serious question behind it. This article brings to light an issue that we all knew existed, but never really paid much attention to. It had referred to the different types of reliance's on social media as addictions. It's a strong word to describe what most might usually think of as just small habits or pastimes, but maybe addiction is the right word to use. This post not only highlights the different types of social media addicts, but it also tells us the 'symptoms' and downfalls that can come out of each one and it raises some fair points. It draws attention to the fact that the addiction to social media can not only annoy those around us, but also hurt yourself and waste your valuable time. I mean, it becomes very hard to concentrate on the work at hand as soon as your phone or computer buzzes to tell you that someone has mentioned you in their tweet. Social media makes procrastinating so much easier, not that we wouldn't find our ways to without it. This article is just proof that the world around usis growing, especially the cyber world

The above article (by Cyrus Favriar) details various interesting facts about the concentration of cellphone subscriptions on the planet - over 6 billion. At first the idea of 85% of the global population having access to a mobile phone seems outrageous, but 6 billion subscriptions does not necessarily mean 6 billion individual mobile phone owners. Many people living in third world countries will have multiple phones in order to take advantage of cheap calls within the carrier to and from a specific other party. Another interesting fact detailed in the article is that over 1/3 of the world's cellphone subscriptions is attributed to China and India, with over 2 billion subscriptions combined. A study from Gartner predicts that 1 billion smartphones will ship worldwide in 2014, and data from Canalys showed that more smartphones were sold in 2011 than personal computers. Between July 2011 and June 2012, Americans used 1.1 billion GB (> 10 000 TB) of mobile data, and over the last year Americans collectively spent 2.321 trillion minutes on the phone and have sent 2.273 trillion text messages. So, why should we be interested in all of these arbitrary facts? We understand that as smartphone prices become exponentially less expensive and other parts of the world gain access to data services, mobile broadband continues to grow at a rapid pace. There is a global trend from fixed-broadband to mobile-broadband subscriptions, simply because it is more cost-effective. As global bandwidth increases we can supposedly pump an infinite amount of data to billions of customers around the world. This relates to eLifestyle because it shows that although we talk about poverty and oppression around the world, one thing unites us: technology. This relates to Economics because of the decreasing cost of smartphones and the accessibility of cheap subscriptions becoming more prominent. This relates to the ICS20 class because as most of us own mobile phones and have mobile plans with various car

Anglophone= English speaking person Francophone= French speaking person Technology has become a large part of our everyday lives. This article talks about how Canadians are purchasing more and more electronics. (Cell phones, iPads, tablets) The article also talks about how Canadians are also signing up for Netflix, a service that allows users to watch movies in the comfort of their own home. The Media Technology Monitor states that 28 % of English speaking Canadians owned a tablet at the time of the survey which was 7 times the amount in 2010. I think this this is a result of society and the services that businesses now offer that they hadn't previously. EX: Now, we can watch movies on our tablets, but let's say 10 years ago, we would have to go to a movie theater. I believe that portable devices have positively affected our lives. These devices make everything we do more convenient, for example, cell phones allow me to contact my friends anywhere in the world and they also provide me with help in an emergency. I strongly believe that portable devices have positive effects in our lives, and judging from the increasing amount of technology users, many others think so as well.

6/10 would read again

Don't be fooled by this imposter, I am the real spider man.

The article I'm about to review is called "Apple 'experimenting' with the curved glass smartwatch". This article briefly describes how the company Apple is experimenting with the curved glass smartwatch.  This curved glass technology, or as Apple calls it the iWatch, has begun developing around February 10, 2013. The iWatch will wrap around your wrist, and will act as a curved glass iPod.  The watch will connect via Bluetooth, and alert users for incoming messages. The iWatch also features a range of applications to use, including a whole range of applications that are targeted at cyclist. For example, the iWatch can be used to track the speed of which your bike is going, act as a GPS and record distance and pace data. In conclusion, this curved glass smart watch, or more simplistically, the iWatch, is hopefully the next big hit for Apple.

This article is about jobs and salaries for tech jobs. The top 10 cities for tech jobs are Washington, D.C., Chicago,, Los Angeles, New York, Atlanta, San Francisco, Houston, Detroit and Seattle. It also says 61% of people working in digital will relocate to find a better job. The salaries that are made by the top people were between $116,000 and $133,000.  This relates to our class because we talked about and did an assignment on jobs you can get with tech

When we're looking for new smart phones we often look at things like speed, convenience, size and other features. When we see all these new smart phone products in stores we don't really stop and think about who made it. All we see is this polished, new phone and that's all we ever try to see. However, this article forces you to look past those pristine products and see the hidden reality. This post shows the rankings of various phone brands based on their impact on human rights, animal rights, the environment and other ethics. Out of a possible score of 20, all the brands fell quite short with the highest score being 10.5. It brings up the various human rights violations of different companies and makes you wonder why such successful companies like Apple are still setting such a low standard for labor conditions. Living in our comfortable first world country, we don't see all the human rights violations and abuse that occurs in other countries. I was surprised to learn that in a Nokia factory, many people were hospitalized for lead poisoning after being told that lead wasn't harmful. The lives of these workers are put at risk every day, as they work to create our smart phones. This article makes you think a lot about our world's reliance on technology. In our country, we only see the positive side of technology. Around the world though, there's a whole other side to the story. People work in dangerous conditions and are abused often while they create our smart phones. It really makes you see these products in a whole other light. After reading this article, I see more when I look at a smart phone. I wonder what happened to the people that made this phone or how they're living now. Our world is changing because of the introduction of technology. It has made our life so much easier, but we have to remember that this can sometimes come at the cost of another human or animal's dignity and sometimes even their life.

This article (by Emily Price) details a few interesting facts surrounding the social media giant 'Facebook', particularly around gaming. We are all familiar with social games, such as Mafia Wars and Farmville, and Facebook has been recently seeing most of their income from in-game advertisements and in-app purchases. Facebook has seen a 13% growth in gaming users since September 2011 (226 million - 251 million.) Facebook now has over 900 million users, and over 500 million users are utilizing Facebook via a mobile platform. Facebook says that games grow on the network in five different ways: App Center, Notifications, News Feed, Timeline, and games users have Bookmarked. 8 out of the 10 top iOS games have Facebook integrated, and the top two categories of games users play on Facebook are 'Simulation' and 'Games and Puzzles.' This relates to Portable Computing because Facebook has recently taken large steps to improve the user's mobile experience, understanding that most of their core audience is on smart devices. This relates to eLifestyle because we see these social networks like Facebook integrating gaming into the user's social feed, allowing them to spend more time on the site. This relates to Economics because as games become cheaper and more accesible, we see that most of the gaming market is taken by mobile games; no longer do we have to go to an electronics boutique to purchase a $60 triple-A game, when we can buy the $0.99 version of said game or another digitally. Mobile games are the consumer conscious choice because you get the most "bang for your buck." This relates to ICS20 because although most of us say that our time on Facebook is deteriorating, we still are entrenched in the social gaming environment; this is demonstrated by Facebook's 65 million user growth in 2012 alone.

This article is about a pot, called "The PowerPot" that can charge USB devices like smartphones, GPS Devices and LED lamps. This works by using thermoelectric modules to convert temperature differences into a 5-, 10- or 15-watt regulated power stream. So basically, you can charge your devices while cooking food or boiling water.

This article, "10 Apps for Finding Apps" may be appealing to one because it is convenient for someone who has difficulty finding a specific app. When I am trying to find an app for my phone it's usually difficult for me to come up with a certain name that that one app might be under. This new technology allows you to find apps that are relevant to you, which makes it easier for one to find. This is also helpful because you will not waste any time having to search to find the app that fits your need at that moment. 

Are you tired of taking out your earphones and they are a tangled mess? Well now they have a "winder" that allows you to roll up earphones, usb wires, etc. Now you will not have to worry about a mess of wires under your computer, or a bunch of wires in your pocket(earphones). You can also fit cellphone earphones with the microphones on them. You can get a medium or large one for $9-10. This relates to the course because earphones plug into hardware's and it makes it more easier for everybody.   

Don't you just hate it when your cord in your pocket gets all tangled up and it takes FOREVER to untie all the knots and stuff. well now you don't need to worry because inventor David Alden designed the Recoil Winder. Just a simple device, pull the middle cord, and it rolls up. Basically a spring mechanism inspired BY TAPE MEASURES! The recoil winder comes in three sizes. Small size for iPod earbuds, medium for the charger cord for an iPhone, and large is for a USB cord. Recoil Winder is funded by Kickstarter, for 8$ you can get the small recoil winder, 9$ for medium and 10$ for large. 30$ for all three along with the rack. Shipping will be in April.

I'm sure you're already aware of this, but Amazon announced its first tablet - a 7-inch device called the Kindle Fire - at a press event in New York on Wednesday. However, for many months now, rumors have claimed the company has been working on two tablets, one of which is a larger 10-inch device that is reportedly the real iPad competitor.

That's right, folks, the legal battles between Apple and Samsung are far from over. The Cupertino company has successfully won its case to have a preliminary injunction slapped on the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 in Australia, meaning Samsung cannot sell its 10-inch slate down under.

A giant, spinning 3D helix of a bookcase, by Google. How cool. A digital bookcase for your digital books is what Google Books thinks is best. Over 10, 000 books can be held at any one time, so you'll probably never reach the limit. Navigation is done by spinning it around or swiping it up and down. It's kind of like browsing through a REAL bookstore. This is very practical for any and all avid readers, and can apply to almost anyone - you don't have to fill up the thousands of spaces immediately to love it.

As HP is falling behind all the new technologies they are beginning to be a disgrace to the technological world, and the world of annoying and pointless subscriptions. HP is now going to introduce a new service called instant ink that will cost somewhere between 6-10 dollars a month. basically what it is will be a message will be sent to this service when your printer is out of ink, and in a few days, you will get more ink. Ya definitely not going to work.

SWITCHBLADE. Epic name. As the title says, the US army will soon be receiving a Kamikaze drone. Killers, they are. This drone has a 17-foot wingspan with a 10-pound missile. I know this is short, but the video helps to explain this. It is very interesting to see how technology and robots are used to fight a human war. Next thing we know, robots will take over the world. Terminator.

Once again, Japan has done it. They've created a robot at Nagoya Institute of Technology. This passive robot can walk on its own. It doesn't need motors, sensors, or even electricity. All it needs in a light push. This robot took 100 000 steps in a row during a 13 hour test and was able to carry 10-20kg. A purpose of this amazing thing is for people who have trouble walking, ie putting the robot on each leg. Its 90cm high and walks at 3.3km/h.

On October 23rd, 2001, the ipod was introduced to the world. Making Friday the 10th anniversary of this iconic music player. Iconic, because there has been so many different brands of mp3 players, yet the ipod is the first one you think of. The scrollpad and white headphones are its trademark, and this product has been the key factor in keeping Apple constantly relevant in the technology industry.

We now see what Steve Jobs was truly like, what kind of a man he really was. The authorized biography of the genius's life by Walter Isaacson quickly rose to the top of the charts after being released on Monday, and many are finding it hard to resist. This biography unveils many a thing about Steve Jobs that the general populace might not have known before. For instance, and this is really weird, Jobs believed that deodorant was useless, and his vegan diet would make him smell nice enough. Huh. Well, geniuses usually have quirks. But, after all the contributions he made to the world of technology and advancements, has it any meaning that he didn't use any deodorant? Weird, but still. Once again, so long, and farewell, Steve Jobs.