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Facebook heads have launched a new 'search engine' for those using Facebook. Entitled 'Graph Search', this engine allows users to type in specific tags to find users that fall under a specific group. The tags include things such as age, location, relationship status, and other similar traits. The Facebook developers should have seen this as an issue from the very start of the project. Many executives and onlookers anticipated that this engine will cause issues, especially with youth. The main concern being privacy. Facebook claims that only users who opt into this feature will show up on the results, but for mindless teenagers who click accept on anything simply out of haste, this could cause an issue. Although there has been no recorded cases yet, this engine opens the door for sexual predators on Facebook, allowing them to easily search for 'Women under 18 in my area' and similar search options. CEO Mark Zuckerberg himself claimed that they are heightening privacy settings for this engine, but there are still concerns to be had. This new feature is obviously a ploy to send more information to advertising companies and other Facebook partners. Facebook is renown for sending information and demographics of it's users to paying companies, but with Graph Search, anyone can do it themselves, including said companies. Facebook is finding new ways to sell out their user base, while still looking like the 'good guy'. Although it has it's benefits for the honest users that want to use it for social purposes, Graph Search is a very bad decision. If it wasn't apparent to you before, now is the time to get off Facebook.

This article is about the Playstation 4.  It Lists the new technology added to the Playstation 4, such as its new graphics card, the new RAM, and  the new GPU.  It also talks about some of the new features such as the new "suspend mode", in which you basically put the gaming console into a "sleep-mode", in which it cuts out the start up sequences, and takes you directly to the game. Also, you now have the option to connect your PSN to your facebook.  Playstation has changed and updated their console very much from the previous installments, and because of this, Sony will have a distinct advantage in the upcoming console race that will come later this year.

Interesting. Very interesting. Not.

This article is about the advancement of 3D printers recently. A 3D printer is a device that creates 3 dimensional objects from digital models. A 3D printer accomplishes this by spraying on layers of plastics or metals to eventually create an object. This article focuses mostly on new software which pinpoints weak spots in a 3D print digital model and adds thickness or struts where needed. There is also an option to reduce the thickness in some areas where it is already structurally sound enough, reducing the amount of material needed, weight and cost. 3D printers have become so advanced recently that an average person can go and pick one up for as little as $300. The future of 3D printing looks amazing and as time goes on, these devices will become more and more advanced.  I chose the tag of eLifestyle because 3D printers are quickly becoming a household device that many can afford. Advances in printer technology are making it possible to find a model online and then print it out right in the comfort of your own home, instead of going out and buying it. I really like the idea of 3D printing, it feels so futuristic in that we can print our own things on a whim. I think 3D printers could also be quite dangerous as anyone who has access to one of these devices could print out weapons such as knives and firearms. It seems as authorities would have trouble controlling this and could pose a major problem in the near future. Overall 3D printing has both its ups and downs.

On October 29 Google unveiled its new tablet the Nexus 10. This is Google's first 10 inch Nexus device and it runs on an Android 4.2 Jelly Bean Google's newest mobile system, also it comes with some new cutting edge hardware you ever seen in an Android tablet. Google has priced its new tablet at $399 to compete with the other new tablets such as Microsoft Surface, iPad 4th generation, and Kindle Fire HD. The Nexus 10 has a 2560 x 1600 pixel Super PLS display at 300ppi and has a denser display screen than other competitors. The Nexus 10 runs on an ARM Cortex-A15 processor and quad-core Mali T604 graphics processing unit. It has a 5 megapixel rear camera and a 1.9 megapixel front camera. The Nexus's new software has a new user account option that lets multiple users customize the tablet to their own needs without disrupting other users that may have access to it. The only bad thing it lacks the proper apps for a tablet that are available to Android. It is eLifestyle because a lot of people have been waiting for this new tablet and it's different than the latest tablets. It's portable computing because it runs on the new Android 4.2 Jelly Bean and Google's latest mobile system. Has a bigger screen and it will compete very well with the other companies.

One on the most popular social networking sites, Facebook, obtains Instagram. Instagram is a trending photo/camera app that many iPhone users are currently using. This will affect facebook users who like uploading and sharing their photos in a great way, because it will give them more options. I think Facebook will manage Instagram very well because they are very experienced in working with apps and software. The creators of Instagram also believe that Facebook will change and work with them in an efficient way.

This is article is all about running a second operating system in a virtual machine or dual boot. Choosing between this two methods is up to you, because  you need to think which better for your particular needs.Both have pros and cons, but are better suited to specific situations. Dual booting is great for games and other Long stints in an operating system while virtualization is great for running that one program, or testing out a new OS.

This article discusses the options of running an OS within an OS for example a VMware image of Apple Mac OS X 10.7 Lion running on a Windows based machine within the VMware software package. It discusses the issues of performance when you use another OS within a host OS and how the processor has to utilise and manage its resources within the both OS's for it to run, so therefore the virtual OS will be very laggy and unresponsive if it has to utilise a lot of resources and if it has a lot of programs and processes open simultaneously. While Dual booting is great if you own a Apple Mac due to the fact that not many games can run on the Mac environment because of the need of most games require the Microsoft DirectX 10 codec or higher for example CRYSIS 2  which is only available to windows machines for it to function properly. This therefore is relevant to my course due to the fact that it discusses many software package limitations and also hardware limitations which can get in the way of what you want to achieve for example VMware .ISO file of Apple Mac OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion running on an Acer Aspire 5247.  

This is all about the followup release of PS Vita's v1.65 firmware update. This new Version 1.66 brings with it a few UI tweaks, including tidbits such as the addition of a progress bar during app installs, notification alerts now only popping up for three seconds, plus the option to tap Retry / Cancel when running into troubles during location search. Games like Unit 13 and Gravity daze will also see "functional improvements", while the near apps is getting a direct link to the  PlayStation Store to make it easier and faster to update or to download.

Siri is very useful to those who want to find an answer easily, or want something done quickly, Siri is able to do just that. Apple is now introducing advanced technology as is currently in progress of having more languages spoken. This technology is so advanced that now those who do not speak English very well, or can't speak it at all now might be able to have that option that they can talk to Siri in their own language without discomfort. I find this to be very fair and open to all those around the world and Apple is doing an excellent job at expanding their cultural impact. 

This is a great tool that can be used to further advance how we work as technological people.  This allows us to work more effiently by giving you more options.

This article explains the effects of the ever changing world of technology and how it effects even the most fundamental of programs: Microsoft Office. New advances in technology cause Microsoft Office to slowly become irrelvant and sooner or later, obsolete. I think that this change will not happen quickly but it will definitely happen. I find it unfortunate that a program that has been very useful over the years can be easily replaced by various apps. I think I will still use Microsoft Office because the Word, Powerpoint, and EXcel options of Micrsoft Office will still be more convient for me than several different apps.

This article is very beneficial for those who like free apps like my classmates in this class. If one has the android phone, they will be provided with 10 free apps that they will use everyday. This would be important for people who need certain things right away and can't afford it, or in a rush and don't have the time to download the apps. For example, a free app that is mentioned in this article is the alarm clock app. You have more than one option to choose from when using this alarm clock, rather than the one built in the phone because it is specifically for alarms. Further stating, that these 10 free apps for the Android can be helpful for busy people.

Today is the day the new iPad 3 will be coming out! March 7th!  Some rumors have been going on, saying this new iPad will not be called iPad 3, but iPad HD. This new iPad will have many new features, but one of the reason why it is going too be much better then the iPad 2 is the new iPad will have a higher resolution, and it has an improved processor and there's an option of getting a model equipped with the 4G LTE.

This article is all about phones. more specifically, which phones is the right one for you. The article has paragraphs explaining how there are so many phones and so many options and uses a flow chart to help you find the best phone that has what you are looking for. This can relate to me because when i was going to buy my phone i didn't know if i wanted to go with Apple or Samsung. I didn't know if i wanted a simple high quality phone with apple or a more customizable phone with Samsung

On February the 23rd, Microsoft made a few announcements on their Windows Phone. The new update 8.1 will have more flexible support for hardware and the phone will be able to use dual-SIM, apps on microSD and virtual softkeys instead of the original capacitive keys. The Windows phones will also not be required to have a hardware camera shutter key which people are excited for. The new update is refreshing and the updated hardware opens up more ability for the market to grow. I personally think this is a great move for Windows because it adds the options that their customers have been asking for. It has also been said on a similar article that the new update will allow Windows hardware to work on other phone companies such as Android. This might not be a good idea because people might not find the need to use the hardware if they already have one on their phone. Personally, if I wanted to use the Windows hardware, I would just buy a Windows Phone instead of downloading it on my existing one.

The Bitcoin and "Coin" are two different virtual currencies with no intrinsic value, but still give the capability to purchase whatever you want as a consumer. Bitcoin is a digital crypto-currency that is ran over the internet. It runs off of bitcoin miners and traders. The currency "coin" however, still uses your countries own currency. It is a beta-project of a credit card, that can hold all of your cards into one. You can have your debit, visa, and mastercard all on the coin. This simplifies purchasing goods because you only need one card that can do many specific things. This article compares the two types of future currency. After reading this article I believe the "Coin" is a safer and more reliable option. It allows us to use actual tangible money, and this money is non-volatile and regulated by the government unlike Bitcoin which goes through many spikes in prices.

A new hardware leak is made official this week, the Chromebook 2. It runs a Chrome OS. This article says that it's exterior  includes stitched leather, and a full HD 1980x1080 screen. Some cool hardware jammed in there, is an Exnos 5 Octa processor which clocks in at 2.1 GHz. Also includes 4 GB of RAM and 16 GB of storage available. It's expected to have eight hours of battery life. The chromebook will cost either $320 or $400. For a machine that is internet dependent, and is mainly used for web surfing and storing on the cloud, $400 might actually be too expensive. I don't need this right now, nor do I want to get one, but I think this is a step forward in the field of cloud computing by google. I think there are definitely some better options to pick from, some being microsoft's version of this. Microsoft office is more widely acclaimed, and has the popular vote over google docs. About the specs, it does its job for what it's worth.

Google is improving the security of their email application. Gmail is switching to https, and is looking at a more private future for its users. Sending messages over a secure https connection ensures no one can come in contact with a message. This now has become the default in all gmail practices. It is no longer an option like in 2010. In addition, emails sent will be encrypted, along with communication. This is the news that I actually liked hearing from google, most of the time it's them trying to steal our identities through google search and targeting ads towards us w/out permission.

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.

Ebay, a service beloved by all, is an online market place for the buying and selling of goods. This week, Ebay has been at the forefront of innovation yet again. The tech giants are now allowing sales to be made in crypto-currency (aka virtual currency; think Bitcoin or Dogecoin). This is a very interesting move considering the companies usual apprehension over the digital world; having a long-standing policy against digitally downloaded items. Ebay is widely renowned and is used by people everywhere, and making virtual currency a payable option shows how far the idea has come. Bitcoin started out as a crypto-currency reserved exclusively for less than savoury characters on the dark web. However, the currency has been since thrust into the light and has become wildly popular; going for $600 a bitcoin. This is ultimately a win for Ebay and for us the consumers. Another way to pay can make new transactions much easier and efficient, no need to bring a third party in (PayPal). All in all, this new move by Ebay is another step in legitimizing online currency and making it available to the masses.

A new app for android users shows that a 90 minute sleep cycle can ensure you that you wake up energized, and a 90Night makes it simpler for you to get this sleep bu letting you choose the best time to wake up. This free app asks you to put the time you want to fall asleep and accordingly on the screen gives you different timings based on a 90-minute cycle. In the app's settings, you can also add the amount of time it usually takes for you to fall asleep that 90Night can take that into account when giving you timings. Overall, it is a much easier process than setting an alarm for yourself. The app also works the other way around as you can set the time you want to wake up and 90Night will give you options of what time you should go to bed.