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We should all probably know that when technology starts upgrading as time goes by, we always want to get the new products. Our generation is getting more and more into technology and in this article, it explains a study of how we are digitally getting distracted in our academics. This study shows that 47% of teachers should make courses and content in digital literacy into a school's curriculum. I agree with this because as our generation spends our days mainly on our phones or on computers, we wouldn't be distracted on the technology if we have our work finished with it. The only back draw to this is that many students would just go on Google or Wikipedia for their answers as the Internet has a huge amount of information displayed for us to use. This article relates to portable computing because it's starting to affect how we do in our education. In addition, it relates to eLifestyle because we're using this technology as a daily part of our lives and if we start to use it as a method of education, we can use it as a form of gaining new information.

The article, by Neha Prakash, is about a study on the effects of technology on the current generation of students. The study concluded with 87% of teachers saying students were easily distracted and had short attention spans. This is most likely due to the internet providing such quick and easy access within a keystroke in search engines such as Wikipedia and Google. Students are used to having things accomplished and out of the way so quickly that they no longer have the attention span to complete more complicated and time consuming tasks. Due to this, students lack time management and also do not check if their sources are reputable. A solution to this problem could be to incorporate digital literacy and technology into schools' curriculum. With this additional knowledge, methods of education can be improved in today's technological environment. This relates to elifestyle in that we use technology so much that we can take it for granted. Normally, we do not acknowledge the consequences of repetitive and prolonged use of social media, search engines, cell phones, and so on. As the class of ICS2O, we learn to use technology in a healthy balance in our lives. We are at the forefront of electronic education, using sites such as diigo, Google Drive, and Google Reader to complete assignments and engage in the events of the outside world. While there are negative impacts to the overuse of technology, like most other things, technology, used in balance with other aspects of life, can be beneficial.

This article states that a new study has shown that more and more kids/teenagers are distracted by technologies which affect their learning.  87% of the teachers in this study have said that "technology is creating an easily distracted generation with short attention spans."  Other teachers also claim that "technologies do more to distract students than to help them academically."  Teachers, though, remained somewhat optimistic about digital impact, with 77% saying Internet search tools have had a "mostly positive" impact on their students' work. I think that technologies help out a lot in kids learning however it could still distract them. A lot of kids use the internet with homework and study help which could in some cases is a very beneficial thing. They would learn and find out more about the subject they are studying. Lee Rainie, director of the Pew Internet Project, says that maybe it is not the problem with tech, but the lack of digital literacy training in students that creates the problem. I agree with this also. 

This article is about how Google has a new web engine for Chromium and Chrome. What they basically did was they "forked" with WebKit and Blink. WebKit is described as the glue that binds the modern web: the rendering engine powers Apple's Safari, Google's Chrome, and many mobile browsers both past and present. Google believes that Chromium's multi-process approach has added too much complexity for both the browser and Webkit itself, so it's creating a separate, simpler fork named Blink. Although the new engine will be very similar to WebKit at the start, it's expected to differ over time as Google strips out unnecessary code and tweaks the underlying platform. The company has also confirmed top us that both Chrome and Chrome OS will be using Blink in the future.

This article mentions the fact that Twitter now plans to update its mobile applications to introduce filters for photos allowing people to share altered images without having to use another source such as Instagram. Since most phones come with high-resolution cameras and many of the Twitter users use their phones this will be an easy way for people to edit and upload their photos. Especially with people or famous celebrities that use Instagram then share them on Twitter where more people follow them it will be easier and faster to just use Twitter for it all. This new idea has been hastened when Facebook bought Instagram. Twitter was thinking of buying a different photo service or application but when weighing out the cost they decided to just build their own filters. Twitter is also exploring the ability to upload and edit videos without using a third-party application like YouTube. This article has a lot to do with economics and the battle between two companies trying to get people to use their site and apps and not the other. In this case Twitter is really trying to become the most popular and important social networking site where people will be able to do anything on and it will be instant. They are changing what they once were to try to morph into Facebook because of the increasing popularity of Instagram and the fact that Facebook bought it.  I think personally that Twitter is making a good decision about the filter but i don't think twitter should add their own video player because it would change twitter and its purpose of being instant statements and pictures. YouTube is good at what they do and twitter should stay out of it. However with the whole idea of adding filters to Twitter you get the benefits of Instagram with the benefits of Twitter which might just keep them on top of Instagram.

Following Facebook's purchase of Instagram for almost $1 Billion in April 2012, it seems appropriate that Twitter would integrate something similar into their users' experience. 'Inside sources' say that Twitter is working on a photo-filter system that will be integrated directly in the site and mobile apps that hopes to bypass third-party services (such as Instagram.) While Instagram is a social network that focuses on social images with limited text, Twitter is renowned for its 140 character text-based updates with occasional images. An advantage of Twitter's supposed photo filtering system would be that there would most likely be a website equivalent to the mobile app, a problem that has plagued Instagram users who want a PC experience. As of now, there have been no official confirmations by Twitter, but the idea of a Twitter-exclusive photo sharing system seems interesting; although the market is currently saturated by Instagram, which can export images to other social networks, including Twitter. Legally, Facebook and Instagram may be able to take action against Twitter, depending on how similar their filtering system will be. This relates to eLifestyle and ICS20 because as social network users, we are always searching for ways to monetize our networks to one cohesive experience; another photo-sharing application seems arbitrary when there is already a capable system (Instagram.)

The article is an excerpt from "Instant: The Story of Polaroid" by Christopher Bonanos. The Polaroid is described as 'that thing that happened before Instagram happened' in the comment proceeding the excerpt. The excerpt tells the tale of how the first Polaroid camera was revealed to the public in 1947 at a scientific meeting of the Optical Society of America by Edwin Land. It is a story of innovation and breakthrough. Previously, cameras would produce negatives on film which would be sent to labs, or developed in home-made darkrooms. This process was difficult, time consuming, and could potentially fail. The Polaroid would change all that. Land took a picture of himself and set a 50 second timer for it to develop. He described how a thick chemical reagent was being reacted with the negative, the same stuff that normally went down a darkroom drain. This was one of Land's biggest breakthroughs. With the 50 seconds up, he peeled back the print, revealing a sepia (or as we described it: a browned-up-a-notch) portrait of himself. This was monumental. A process which normally took a week was done in under a minute. The story of the instant camera raced across America, landing Land in the New York Times and Life magazine. This article relates to the present, where cameras are generally smaller and predominantly digital. As a class, we recently watched a video on micro-technology. Over the years, scientists and engineers have been on the constant struggle to make things smaller, faster, and more efficient. The camera is no exception. Today's cameras contain microchips and processors of their own, in a compact space. Recent Polaroids can print in colour. In a world driven by invention and innovation, many new things may be introduced in our life time. Perhaps one will be as impactful as the Polaroid camera.

This article talks about how they are thinking of making ATM machines that can read your palm. It can access your account just by scanning your hand. Then you can easily take out money without scrambling for your credit card. Now you don't need to worry about losing your credit card or even forgetting your pin number. I believe this is a good idea because it can make it easier for everyone to just scan their hands and get the proper amount of money out. I personally like this method better than using credit cards. This relates to the course because it takes a lot of programming to get these ATM machines to work, and also the actual ATM machine is a hardware.

Ogaki Kyoritsu Bank in Japan has revealed that it will introduce the nation's first ATM that lets you withdraw money just by scanning your palm. You wouldn't even need your credit card to verify that you can withdraw money from your account. I think this is a great idea. In Canada, we already have the device where it scans your chip, but it doesn't always work. For example, my dad had to send back his credit card 3 times before he finally got the chip to work. This is also very safe because every person has a different hand shape and "design" on their palms, no one would be able to imitate it. I hope that they come out with this machine in Canada soon, i'm sure it would be less stressful for many people.

This article talks about how in Japan they will soon have ATMs that let you withdraw money just by scanning your palm. This will come in handy when you have lost your card. Customers would first have to show identification for verification then they would scan your palm and can easily withdraw money from the bank. This new type of technology can be convenient because there would be less people stealing credit cards from other, and can withdraw anytime even when you forget your card.

Facebook is finally going back to its roots. They have now decided to enable students to have groups on facebook with their school. According to the article, when facebook was only for college students, it used to have this feature and it was very useful for students. They were able to see who was in their classes and communicate with their teacher. It is very hard to believe that this actually used to happen. Now facebook is used to mainly post pictures and chat with your friends. Many people have begun to lose interest in facbeook because they don't see it as something that is useful for them anymore. With this new feature, i'm sure facebook expects to bring back their old users and also make facebook more useful and purposeful for their users. I can't wait to see what it will look like!

Facebook launches groups for schools page, this page is for students and faculty members to share and exchange files, create events, and message each other.I believe that this new feature will make it easier for students to communicate. 

Deciding what to make for dinner has always been hard because most people want to make new things and not just the same old recipes.Well now it's easier, when you use Allrecipies' updated Dinner Spinner app. This app allows you to keep track of what food items you have at home in a virtual pantry, and scan items at the grocery store with your smartphone to find recipes to make with that item. This could come in handy for many people and it makes life more exciting. You could try new foods everyday, or even add some extra fun into your old recipe.

Biggest Atlas in world yours for $100,000 it is 6 ft (1.8 m) by 4.5 ft (1.4 m) it takes 2 people to open in enormous book and 128 pgs. There are 31 copy's of this atlas. The book contains many pictures of the worlds wounder and i think it is really super cool!

On cell phones they have maps. They are creating a new one that shows the many stores that are in New York, and where they are specifically located. Another feature is by touching the stores name it show tweets from each store that promote their sales. They will be charging people to have these privileges. This relates to the course because it shows how technology is evolving.

This article is about NYC launching a better map app for tourist. The new app is going to be a big improvement so that tourist can find specific stores better. 

People use iPads to read, watch videos, play music and so much more. Now, they will also be able to control things from within the home with their tablet. Sources say that the iPad will soon be able to control your t.v., and Control4, and company based in Utah has already started thinking past this. They have an iPad app which can be used to control security features, lighting, temperature and entertainment media. Not only would you be able to access the things from your home while you're at home, but also while you're out. You could turn up the heat in your house before you came in or turn off the lights if you forgot to do it when you left. This app also turns iPads into a surveillance system. You would be able to see what's going on around your house but for a much cheaper price. I'm sure this is something many people would like because it means less work for everyone.

The new LG smart series come with a cool feature called voice control. You can use it to search for things anywhere like the internet. All you have to do is talk into the remote and this amazing technology will do everything for you. There would be less work involved because you wouldn't have to go on your laptop or computer to search something up. All you would have to do is turn on your t.v. and talk into the remote and your answer would come up. This new feature on the LG tv is very convient for many people and i'm sure it's going to be popular in the near future.

This is the same device that actually managed to sell LESS than the 3DS when it launched. When you launch hardware you have to have good software or else it will bomb.

I agree they did not have good software for japan but I think they just need a monster hunter game and it will sell in japan just like the regular psp but the hardware for the vita is actually great i like the touch pad on the back and it is a great value it is the most powerful portable console out there. When it launches in North America i think it will do good because of all the great games like uncharted, wipeout and the like.

But the system also has many flaws, like an irreplaceable (and short-lasting) battery, expensive proprietary storage, it's too big, and it's also too expensive, which Nintendo learned the hard way after the 3DS price drop thing. Sony is going to have to at least drop the price to be able to compete. Although I do agree that it will eventually have good software, it doesn't yet, and that can really hurt the system.

This article describes the unfortunate unlikeliness of having iPad textbooks. It seems practical in this generation to have iPad textbooks, however there are still many aspects of this idea that need to be thought through. I think it will be more beneficial for students to carry one iPad as opposed to several textbooks, as well iPad would be more eco friendly because they would eliminate the need for printed textbooks. Nevertheless iPads can and often break and it would be much cheaper to replace a textbook as opposed to an iPad. Also,  I think that textbooks can easily out live an iPad especially if being used for long periods of time. I agree with this article that, at the moment, iPads would still be too expensive and impractical for today's use. However, I am certain that students in future generations will have the privilege to have iPad textbooks for educational use.

It's actually pretty cool that ipads would actually be entering the schools. But the problem is the cost of the textbooks, and installing the textbook work in the ipad. Which costs a lot for the school boards, but also for the parents. Schools will end costing much more, and schools will be needing an ipad hardware on top of the textbook software. But the cost can be lowered if Apple can think of a way to lower the prices. 

This article gives people an idea as to what to do with those old computers we have lying around our houses that we don't use anymore. Although, there are many of us out there that have newer computers as opposed to what we've used five or so years ago, it is still a good idea to want to put those outdated pc's to good use. I think this is helpful because for those that still use the old kinds of computers and don't want to have to buy the new, super expensive ones, this article will help give an idea what to do with them.

Well this article is pretty interesting, because it explains how to renew an old ugly horrible computer, into a good computer that can make a huge difference. One of the rules was to upgrade your hardware which is a hard thing to do, but it can boost certain type of areas in your machine. It is a smart thing to do, but it is really worth paying for all of this, just to make your old ugly computer fast, and good again? I prefer to just buy a better computer. Instead of using faster programs, upgrading hardwares, etc. But these rules are really smart, and useful for people that like to use old computers.

you know when you wanna post a story on twitter, but ya can't because the post limit is no longer than 140? well now you sort of can by using TwitLonger, which will post the first 100 characters along with a shortened URL to the TwitLonger webapp. Many think this is a great idea, though others like me think it's useless because i don't have twitter .

This article is about being able to tweet more than 140 characters on twitter. I think this is very helpful because when i want to tweet an embarrassing moment or a new experience i am always limited because of the 140 characters restrictions. With this app it can increase the number, and people like me can tweet more about there life experiences..  

recently people have been trying to break the iPhone 5 trying too see if if it holds much better than Samsung Galaxy S III. the iPhone 5 was developed in california. though it has out sold the previous iPhone 4S it is also a disappointment for many apple fans. they were expecting a new and improved look and model of the iPhone 5, but instead the shape was kept the same and only the screen got larger. most of the software on the iPhone 5 is on the Samsung Galaxy S II, so in my opinion the iPhone 5 is not exactly that new people are just buying this product because it is mainstream. if stive jobs was not dead i'm pretty sure he would've been disappointed with this supposed new model for iPhone 5.

RAM factory in china fire causes RAM prices to skyrocket. Due to the fire, many jobs were lost...

Who are you?

This article give tips on choosing the career that make you proud. this article gives 5 tips that are very effective to make sure you enjoy doing the work you do.

Thoughts and opinions required in your posts for full marks

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.