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Over the past few years, the iphone has become much more popular.  It's thin, light and efficient design has attracted many users. However, despite the improvements made to the phone over the years it still remains rather fragile.  Our society has become so reliant on technology, yet our day to day life is very hazardous to these delicate electronics.  Every day, people drop, kick, and spill on their iphones and end up with a broken phone.  You'd think because of this constant issue iPhones would be made sturdier so that it can make it through the day, however, in the last year 30% of iphone users have damaged their phone.  Iphones come at such high prices.  We expect that when we buy one, we have not only bought a phone that can meet our daily expectations, but one that can also last through the day.  Hopefully, this is an improvement that we will see on the new iPhone5.   I think that as great as the new iPhone features are, they should also be focusing on making it last, because if the phone breaks what good are the new features?  My sister had dropped her iphone a couple of times and part of the screen had cracked.  However, despite the damage she had still had to use and rely on this old, cracked phone for a few more months until she could get it replaced, due to the costs of getting it repaired. It had caused her some problems and I'm sure many other iphone users have encountered this issue.  I don't think the goal is to make it easier or cheaper to repair iphones, but rather make it so that less people need repairs.

This article talks about the problems Facebook could have if it were to be breached by a hacker. Facebook is one of the biggest social networking websites to date and is the biggest holder of personal information, and yet they have been able to keep this information safe from hackers. Comparing to Twitter who had 250,000 accounts accessed by hackers, Facebook has done a remarkable job to keep our information safe, and although they have been able to do so for now, eventually they will have to face the problems of hackers. When you look at Facebook over other social networking sites like Twitter and Tumblr, there is a big difference when it comes to privacy and security. Twitter, for instance, is a more public social networking site with the odd soul that locks their account from the public. Facebook has privacy by default, which means Facebook has a lot more to lose if they were to get hacked. The physical damage that would pertain to us would include some of our photos and messages might be stolen, and the worst that could happen would pertain to credit card information, but Facebook would jump on and respond to these problems with password changes and other stuff. The real damage that would hit Facebook hard would be the psychological damage, and it would nearly destroy them. When something big happens in our society, the media jumps on this and will twist the truth in the story to give us, the viewers, the best story that will manipulate us into thinking an entire wrong. Facebook would be all over the media, whether it be on the radio, on the internet, on the news or in newsprint. The world would know about what happened, and fear would sweep across the globe.  People would start asking questions about what is safe on Facebook and if it is safe at all. Facebook already has a problem with people not being sure if everything is safe on Facebook, and this would just ruin everything for Facebook. No matter how much Facebook tries to keep its network safe, i

TL;DR

TL;DR

Social networking is a very big thing in today's society.  there are many social networking sites on the Internet, but none as big as Facebook.  With approximately 1 billion users, it is no wonder why it is so successful.  But with everything comes a consequence.  There are many downfalls to using Facebook.   One reason why Facebook is a problem to today's society is because since we are so addicted to Facebook, it can damage our minds. Receiving and answering a notification results in a hit of dopamine, a chemical neurotransmitter associated with the motivation and rewards response in the human brain.  Dopamine is also released when we consume drugs, etc.   This seems foolish right?  well In China, Taiwan, and South Korea, "Internet Addiction Disorder" is already accepted as a psychological diagnosis.  Facebook and other social networking sites can have damaging effects, such as a decrease in our attention span.  Since 2000, our collective attention span has increased by 40% It effects our lives because since almost everyone is on Facebook, or any other social networking site, almost everyday, we start to become distracted, less focused, and have a shorter attention span, which could potentially mess up future generations.  For one, we become distracted in class, and instead of listening to the teachers, we're always on our phones (or any other devices) checking our notifications. Now that we have learned what Facebook and other social networking sites can do to us, is there really a way to resolve this issue?

Previously, Twitter, Apple, and Facebook have been on the list of tech companies hacked within the last couple of weeks. As of March 2nd, 2013, Evernote also joins this list when their network is breached by an attempt to access secure areas of the Evernote Service. Evernote has notified users via  e-mail, blogs, and social media to change passwords so that users personal information can remain safe on the Evernote network. The hackers had successfully accessed usernames, e-mail adresses and encrypted passwords, however, they were stopped before any damage could be done. This relates to the "Privacy & Security" category because users data and personal information is being accessed without authorization. Obviously, this can cause many problems for users especially because their work and information can be stolen or deleted. Evernote encourages creating a strong password to ensure that an account remains secure, however, this is a questionable matter because the website should also consider upgrading their system in order to keep users safe. As part of the eLifestyle, many users rely on cloud storage to store information, especially on Evernote. The recent hacking just proves how reliable cloud storage really is. When saving data, it is important to consider the possibility of it being stolen or deleted. With this in mind, one shouldn't depend on cloud storage for saving all of their work or important material as it hasn't proven to be very reliable. And if you are using cloud storage, it would be smart to backup important files on a USB or Computer.

As if 3D printing wasn't impressive enough. A unnamed man in the US successfully had 75 percent of his skull replaced using just a 3D printer. The printer printed out an implant, which the company (Oxford Performance Materials) was granted permission to install within the patients skull. Also stated was that the implant has special indent and features that allows and promotes brain growth within the patient. The potential of 3D printing is extremely high. The company has said that they can now print out implants to fix any type of bone damage, whether it be from disease or trauma. The company also says that 500 people in the US a month could use this technology to fix any injuries. 3D printing is the future of the medical field, and I wouldn't be surprised if some day we could 3D print organs.  3D printing is talked about a lot in Mr. Fabroa's class, but I believe that it deserves all the coverage it gets. It truly is the future of the technological world.

Samsung is becoming a cheaper industry. They claim to be making their cameras run on WiFi only making there costumers unhappy with them. some say that the camera is already overpriced and to make it run on WiFi now would just be another expense not many people can afford. i believe this is wrong because the camera it self is expensive and half the time i have to fix it because of damages so by making it run on WiFi not only would that make things more complicating for myself and all the time i need to take up to fix the camera, if this new one doesn't work there would be more problems i would have to deal with. So i do not like this product because it would waste time and money on my part if there are any complications.

The article i chose is about why Smartphone, Laptop, and Airplane batteries can explode. These batteries are lithium-ion batteries and are less expensive and more energy dense than than regular batteries which is why many people use them. These batteries don't just short circuit, they explode into flames and the batteries explosive tendencies are the result of a process known as thermal runaway. This means that the increasing temp. causes the system to get hotter which increases the temp. and so on. The causes of this are short circuits, temperatures exceeding 60 degrees C, repeated overcharging, or unauthorized modifications to the case. This occurs very rarely but just to be on the safe side all you have to do is make sure you don't repeatably overcharge, and replace the batteries every 36 months or so to avoid pushing a worn cell to hard.  This relates to the selected tag economics because some companies such as apple took out 1.8 million iBook and PowerBook battery packs after just nine reports of overheating. It also relates to Portable Computing because your computer can overheat and be damaged forever.   

This article is about the capital of Peru which is the second largest capital in the world located in a desert. It rarely rains which means that many residents are forced to get their water from dirty wells. The good thing is that the humidity there is 98% so the local University designed a billboard that's able to harvest the moisture in the air and turn it into potable water. The University teamed up with with an add agency to create the billboard. A series of five tanks located at the top of the tower can store up to 96 liters of water at any given time, and the liquid reserves are accessible from a single faucet located at the base of the billboard.  The water vapor is being pulled directly from the air and further processed by a filtration system. The water is guaranteed to be clean enough for drinking all year round. I think that this is a great invention and should be used in many other places around the world with a high humidity. This article relates to the selected tag of Environment because even though it doesn't damage the environment it is a renewable resource and will only benefit us in the future.They get the water vapor from the air and change it into water from the environment. 

Apparently around 650,000 mac computers were infected with Trojan horse virus called "Flashback" This trojan is hijacking people's search engines in result of their web browsers it pretty much damages the inside of the computer, it also steals banking or log in credential.  Cyber criminals could send new malware to their systems that cause bigger problems. This flashback was designed to conduct a click fraud scam.  Apple released a security patch for Java  that prevents Flashback Trojan from infecting your computer/mac.  

This article is about the best ten waterproof smartphone cases. In this article, they have a brief description on the phone case and they also tell you the price of it. I find this very useful because people like my mom are always very scared of damaging their smartphones/iphones and they want the best case to protect it and this will help us choose a case to keep it safe. this relates to this class because we all have phones and we need to keep them safe.

Can you imagine that instead of using heavy and boring textbooks, we use IPADS IN SCHOOL!!  iPads are more interactive and can't be damaged as much as textbooks are. Though iPads won't be coming to our school anytime soon, there are many reasons why they should include iPads instead of textbooks. One, you're saving paper, and another is that instead of carrying heavy textbooks, you only carry one very thin and light iPad, this was known to help with your health. 

This is such a cool article. I think everyone would want to read it. Waterproof phones would be something more people would want. Alot of phones are constantly dying because of water damage. With this new water repelling technology you wouldn't have to worry when your phone would accidently fall in a sink or if you would drop it in a puddle because it would still be working. I can't wait till this new technology comes out!

Computers were first created in the 1940's and by the end of 2002, one billion computers have been sold worldwide. The increase of computers being sold each year has been creating large amounts of electronic waste and can be a source of toxins if not treated appropriately. The problem that we are facing is that an average 24-kilogram desktop computer requires at least 10 times its weight in fossil fuels and chemicals to be made. Compared to automobiles or refrigerators that only require 1-2 times their weight in fossil fuels, computers have become a serious problem for our environment. By throwing out your old computers, it adds to the mountain of electronic garbage that helps to increase environmental pollution and global climate change. Since this is a problem, most people today are encouraged to recycle computer components so they could be used again. The recycling not only helps the environment but it also eliminates the need to dig out the fossil fuels from nature. I personally believe that the act of recycling these old computers is great for the environment and will help us to save the natural fossil fuels that we so very often use up. The other good news is that companies are now creating their computers from recycled materials to help out on the recycling process.

According to this article, when it comes to computers and the environment the main concern comes from the consequences created when disposing the machine. Overtime, the amount of computer sales have been skyrocketing. This increase, coupled with changing technology, led to large amounts of electronic waste. The metals commonly found in PC's are aluminum, antimony, arsenic, barium, beryllium, cadmium, chromium, cobalt, copper, gallium, gold, iron, lead, manganese, mercury, palladium, platinum, selenium, silver and zinc. Eight of the metals are listed as hazardous. I think that this article is true. Many people don't understand that computers need to recycled properly. If people were to start recycling their computers, i think our environment would look better.

The main concern with computers is the process of creating and disposal. The number of computers being made increases as demand goes up, and this has lead to mass electronic waste. This waste tends to be toxic and damaging to the environment. An average computer will use up ten times its weight in fossil fuels to make. As this is a big issue, the UN decided to review the complications it may have in the future. Significant energy use, long term health affects on people, and long term impacts on the environment are all problems. Solutions to this are viable though. Recycling from people and corporations go a long way. Selling of unused parts is always an option, or even a charity donation. This is a problem now, but might not have to be. Computer recycling is a big motion being taken by businesses, because it happens to be cost-effective and good for the environment. Only good things I have to say about the progression of environmental impacts of tech. Let's hope for a continuing trend.

Many people have a smartphone, and we all know how dangerous carrying one can be. It's kind of like carrying glass - it can break at any time. Original equipment warranties DO NOT usually cover phone repairs if it is broken, or has water damage. So, some look to third-party device warranty companies. SquareTrade is a company like such, and it gives insurance for what Apple and other OEMs don't cover. Thought it might feel like a scam to you, it's probably worth the money, to protect your phone. phone companies are great for giving you phones, just not for fixing them. So, what other option do we have?

In this article it talks about how computers are a bigger threat to the enviroment than SUVs! They say that because a lot of computers are not very energy effeicient and they waste a ton of electricity. And in the report, An Inefficient Truth it says that with mopre than 1 billion computers on the planet they are responsable for about 2% of human carbon dioxide emissions. In the article it says that one of the biggest issues is the fact that with SUVs you can clearly see that it damages the enviroment but with computers nobody really sees it as a problem so nobody tries to fix it. I can certainly see that computers are a problem for the enviroment and the biggest issue is that they can only grow in size.

Tiny glowing probes packed with LEDs and sensors are scientists newest invention for measuring and manipulating the brain.

This article is about an iphone 4/4S case the claims to be "mil-spec rated"- meaning it is water-, dust-, snow-, and shock-proof. So basically it is an "everything-proof" case (with the exemption of nuclear of course). It also claims that it is noticeably thinner than other cases that carry out similar functions. With a whooping price of $70, I think this is a good buy when you consider how fragile  the iphone can be and how much it takes to repair it when damaged.

This article is about a new iPhone 4/4s case that is said to be water,dust,snow,and shock proof. This new case can survive six foot drops and can be submerged under 6 feet of water! The "life proof case adds only 1/16" of thickness to the iPhone. The case is available now and it cost about $70. iPhone users are you willing to pay $70 for a "life proof case"?