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As you all probably know, the new Apple maps available on iOS 6 is failing to live up to many expectations and requirements. Since coming out, it has had a lot of criticism and many apple customers were disappointed. There has even been a public apology from Apple CEO Tim Cook, who promised that Apple were hard  at work improving Apple Maps. In my opinion, it is embarrassing when such a prestigious company such as Apple develops something that receives this much criticism. I also think that this can hurt Apple's reputation, and even cause users to switch over to rival companies such as Samsung for phones. The big question, however, is whether or not Apple can match or even improve on the previously incorporated with Apple products, "Google Maps." Some say this is unlikely, as Google has much more experience in make map apps, and as Apple still has a long way to go until they can improve Apple Maps to a level where it could be considered decent.

This article talks about 13 gadgets that will help make your life a lot easier during a natural disaster like a hurricane. Some of the artifacts mentioned are a  wind-up  radio, which would help if you don't have batteries. Solar powered water purifiers and chargers, which would be good in almost every situation. These articles will help you survive. I chose this article because of hurricane Sandy and it is possible that we might get hit by a natural disaster that bad. If we do , you should know what to have that will help you survive.

Researchers from University of Hawaii and University of Tokyo have teamed up to get a closer look on how sharks behave. The researchers strapped on a bunch of gadgets to a bunch of different sharks. The gadgets are a combination of a GoPro and a sportsband to monitor and video what sharks do in everyday life. The researchers were able to disprove misconceptions on how the animals move. Before, scientists thought that sharks glided effortlessly through the water, but in reality they actually power swim. The researchers also got some footage of the sharks underwater after jumping to catch a pray. The next step for these researchers is to create an ingestible device to get a better understanding of the sharks diet. They hope that this will help people to stop assuming that sharks only eat human limbs like they do in the movies. After watching the video attached to this article, I found it very interesting to see how the sharks moved around the water and to see what they saw when swimming.

Amazon already has an online grocery shopping business with competitive prices and same or next day shipping. This business venture is called amazon fresh. Amazon Fresh has also announced a new gadget that aids their website. "Dash" allows you to automatically scan barcodes to order food, or speaking into a mic for a certain need of food. "Dash" is completely changing the world of online grocery business'. The problem is though, that this service will cost up to 300$ a year for the same-day+next day shipping. In my opinion I would personally purchase this if I lived in an area that was Amazon Fresh supported. Toronto is still not on the list yet for delivery.

This article is about a special designed PAPER airplane set to release in June of this year, called PowerUp 3.0. It is a paper plane that you can fold yourself and can be controlled by an iOS or Android device. The product itself is just a thin metal wire which clips onto the top of the paper plane with a Bluetooth module on one end and a propeller on the other. You just have to throw the paper airplane and once its in the air, you then can control it with your phone. The app is free, and is similar to a flight simulator, in which you can control the plane to go up and down, or left and right by tilting your phone. The paper airplane is crash-proof, and is run by a USB rechargeable battery. It costs $50 and it comes with a spare propeller and rudder. I think this a very creative, and great product because you are taking something basic like a paper airplane, and turning it into an amazing piece of technology, and a magical RC Vehicle.

Some of humanities greatest achievements have been done during war, or in movies. This is both. The alphaDog is an AT-AT, AT-TE, AT-ST esque transport for military operations conducted in rugged locations like Afghanistan. Instead of wheels or tracks it has four legs to carry its heavy loads across intense terrain. The AlphaDog is still in development but it is well underway. The AlphaDog will be soon made available and will be coming to war near you...believe me, its coming.

this is one of the greatest advances in technology for the us army. they have created a prototype of a gear carrying dog. this happened because now, the warfare is turning to the mountains, and they need a hardware that can carry heavy loads, and also it has a easy to use software and it is voice activated

This article is about how graphene, a material made up of only carbon, could revolutionize smartphones and other other portable devices. Graphene is 100 times stronger than steel and can be made so thin, an ounce of it could cover 28 football fields. Touch screens made with this material would be very strong, light, flexible ,and  and as thin as a piece of paper. A device could be able to fold and fit easily into a pocket. Other possible uses for graphene are thin solar panels, and bionic implants in humans. Once scientists are able to produce large amounts of graphene economically all these products could exist. I chose the tag "portable computing" because this article focuses mostly on the use of graphene for portable smartphones and devices. This material could completely change the portable computing industry.  In my opinion I think graphene has a large potential and scientists should work to make products made with this available as soon as possible. 

Many with Google accounts have noticed that their homepage no longer has the nice background they picked, why? Once again, Google is eliminating another one of its least used service: iGoogle. At first iGoogle was a service with many features that are similar to those of other services, but Google also included additional gadgets to make it more Google-like. However, as time goes on, iGoogle's purpose became obsolete since many other apps, whether it is from Google or other services, of the same purpose became more popular. Less people used iGoogle and this forced the company to consider shutting down the service. Those who are upset about the company's decision still have a little less than a year to use the service since the company announced that they will completely shut down the service on November first in 2013. Although Google+, UStart, and ProtoPage, are services that can also serve as replacements, this is a disadvantage to those who prefer iGoogle. The company cannot make decisions that pleases everyone, so they make choices that appeal to the majority instead. For those who do not support the decision, will eventually have to adjust to using other services besides iGoogle.   

It just seemed like yesterday that the iPad 2 was released but now it's been confirmed that the iPad 3, the newest edition of the iPad in technology, is in the process of creation and has officially released onto the market. The iPad 3 officially made it's first appearance on March 7th, when Apple introduced it's newest creation to the world at a media event in San Francisco. This notable information is relatable not only to our course, but also to society, and our world because it truly demonstrates how our world is constantly evolving and developing with new gadgets and technology being produced and used at our every use everyday. As consumers, we should also be aware that once the iPad 3 makes its way onto the market, the value our iPads and iPad 2s will significally drop, so it is advised that if you are interested in making a purchase and investment towards the iPad 3, to make a extra couple hundred dollars, try selling your older iPads while they are still valuable and worth an acceptable amount of money. Overall, tablets and iPads have definitely taken our world by storm as they have made a huge impact both economically and socially and Apple hopes to continue to make more and more designs and productions to further the success and effectiveness of their products. 

This article tells the story of Wei Xinlong, a student in China, needed a present to buy his girlfriend, but instead of paying retail price for a tablet, he built his own. This is a creative and effective way for Wei to please his girlfriend and he did it by saving a couple hundred dollars. This is realatable to my everyday life because I am in the situation wear I also want to buy a tablet but cannot afford the high price on the market. This man proved that by putting the effort and time into making your own tablet, you can create one that is just as good, in terms of it surfs the web, you can watch videos, and it is touchscreen compatible, all for just half the price.

This article notifies the world that the CIA wants to spy on you through your TV and has the means just to do so. Anytime you download a movie from Netflix to your television or turn on a Internet-based radio, you could be alerting people who you don't want or need watching you. The CIA organization will not need to plant bugs in homes or other places to spy on individuals because of coming advances in computer and Internet technology. Just by people purchasing and using new apps and various "connected" devices, people will essentially be bugging their own homes. The CIA agency and others will be able to "read" these and other gadgets from outside places to monitor via the Internet and perhaps even with radio waves outside your home. This is astonishing information and what makes it even more surprising is it can get worse, it the sense that everything, not just electronics, will be controlled by an app or chip, and will ultimately be viewed and seen by outside sources. This is a scary idea that can be put to action and that fact that we won't even be secure and safe in our homes because there may always be someone watching us and viewing what we are doing. I understand technology is helping us in our everyday lives, but I feel this is too far and the government is now using there means of advancing technology against society. They have the power and resources to possibly monitor and maybe to control what we go on the Internet or what we watch on TV and this will alter our once safe and comfortable environment to have the freedom to use technology how we like in our home.

This article is relevant to many people because now on an android phone with the Google Chrome app installed. One does not have to type in the URL in the top bar. You now are able to just search whatever topic you want in that same bar you type the URL in. This in my opinion is much more convenient because you are not wasting pages while browsing on your android. Also, you are able to open more tabs which will help you work faster. 

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!

This article is about a device that can humidify your home during the winter days. With just a half a liter of water, you can be able to say good bye to cracked lips and dry skin for a day. For me, I think this is a useful device at home because sometimes, and I know most people do, forget to put on lotions and other stuff that prevents your skin or your lips from drying. We all know how painful and inconvenient it is to have cracked lips. Besides from getting shots of pain when trying to speak, it can also make it difficult to eat. So for me, this gadget is worth buying for.

The Kindle Fire could be the first truly successful Android tablet. It touts a very reasonable $200 price tag, a well-curated app store, easy access to Amazons cloud-based services, brand trust and recognition. It's Amazon's most ambitious foray into hardware since the original Kindle's debut.

Hackintosh gone? Back in 2008 Apple filed a suit against Psystar (makers of Hackintosh) for making 'mac clones'. Psystar was banned from copying, distributing, selling, offering Mac OS X. Even though you could install Mac OS X on a regular PC, stealing apples software without actually buying a mac. But now Psystar owes Apple 2.7 MILLION dollars. Psystar's business closed down because of this.

There is a certain joy in unboxing virtually any gadget for the first time, but Apple raised the event to an art form with its always stylish packaging. The Apple iPhone 4S box, though, doesn't mark any new style breakthroughs. Apple's signature white box is a doppelganger for the iPhone 4 packaging. Inside, the phone looks and feels like the previous iPhone 4. This gallery's comparison photos bear that out. Setup, though is a bit different, thanks to iOS 5. There's a large, gray-patterned "Welcome" screen and that motif carries through until you have the phone ready to go. Those of you who downloaded the mobile operating system on Oct. 12 and updated your older devices are probably already familiar with these screens.

We've seen many expensive gadget makeovers, but this one probably takes the cake for being over the top: An iPad 2 dressed in gold, diamonds and bones of a 65-million-year-old Tyrannosaurus rex.

When people decide they have no use for old technology and do not think twice before throwing it out, they probably do not realize that their outdated piece of hardware finds its grave half way across the world. Possibly even in Guiyu, China where the largest electronic waste or "E-waste" dump site exists. People are oblivious to the fact that this is a recurring problem, not just a small matter of sorting and recycling through a few pieces of plastic, metal and wires. This black hole of scrapped computers, television sets, air conditioners and even refrigerators is toxic towards the environment, and is contaminating the growth of crops all around the area, such as rice, from the gases of the poisonous elements contained within the gadgets to make them work. The consuming pile of E-waste is not just environmentally deadly but also causes health hazards, along with the expensive and dangerous recycling operations that are needed. If people continue to neglect this issue, E-waste will continue to grow, swallow the earth with a blanket of harmful bi-products and affect everyone's lives, which is something we do not want. E-waste is hazardous and will eventually kill the planet with the path that it seems to be following without any real rise against the issue. This is such a nice way to give back to the environment don't you think? Polluting the earth and by proxy ourselves with technological garbage is obviously a smart thing to do, as if we aren't destroying the world enough already.

This article is rather interesting, because it talks about a patent Apple recently filed. The patent, "Sensing capacitance changes of a housing of an electronic device," - it sounds quite confusing, and the article described what it is.  Basically the patent is talking about the ability for our mobile devices to differentiate between how we hold our device, and react to it. For example, to open up our camera app, we have to unlock the phone and select it, but with this new technology we could simply hold our device with our fingers around its perimeter and have the app open up. Another example is turning on the device, instead of pressing a button we could simply squeeze the device slightly and it will turn on. We might also not need to lock our phones or have passwords if they are configured to recognize only our grip and fingertips. One last interesting feature is the ability to wave our hand over the device and reveal a keyboard that would later disappear when you wave your hand again.  It all sounds terribly interesting until you realize that it's only a patent and Apple hasn't even begun building a prototype. Right now it's an idea that I hope can exist in the near-future, so that accessing certain applications would be a lot easier and faster. Also, if the keyboards become tactile with thin, bendable metal plates that may solve a lot of the complaints about typing on most current tablets and smartphones.