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This article is about a location-aware Field Trip tour guide app for iOS. You can now download it from the apple app store. Previously, the app was only available for Android, arriving back in September 2012. Field Trip runs in the background on your phone, triangulating position via cell phone towers, and only notifies you when "get close to something interesting." This can include anything local businesses, historical facts, landmarks, art, or culture.You select the local feeds you like and the information pops up on your phone automatically as you move about. You can discover thousands of interesting places/experiences that fall under the following categories: Architecture, Historic Places & Events, Lifestyle, Offers & Deals, Food Drinks & Fun, Movie Locations, Outdoor Art and Obscure Places of Interest around you. Field Trip can detect when you're driving and automatically "talk" about interesting places and experience around you. I think that this is a cool app and should be used while you go on trips so that you can see all the places around you and choose where you want to go. 

Picture in, your mind, an app. Now this app is probably popular, one you downloaded and is from the apple app store; this, however, could be changing soon. Although the android market place has been number 1 in downloads for a while now, they've been lagging behind in profit, but that gap is closing. The market place, already receiving 45% more downloads than the apple app store, is becoming more and more popular. Expanding markets in developing countries is aiding the expansion. Ultimately, android's reasonable pricing for phones is contributing to a huge boom in phone and app sales. Although this is the case, the market place is still far behind the App Store in revenue. The app store is currently making apple 85% more than the market place does for android, but those numbers are changing. One day soon, Android may topple apple's dominance in the app world and take its place as king.

Lucasfilm and Disney have announced more info on the production of the new Star Wars Episode VII film which is set to release in theatres in 2015. They are set to begin shooting this May at Pinewood Studios in London. This movie will take place 30 years after Return of the Jedi which was the end of the original Star Wars trilogy. The original actors Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, and Mark Hamill may return to play their roles as Han Solo, Leia Organa, and Luke Skywalker. The last star wars movie which included these characters came out around 30 years ago, in which the older actors' aged look would come right into alignment with the movie's storyline. More announcements are sure to be made on May the 4th (known as Star Wars day). I find this very exciting because I was a huge star wars fan when I was younger, and it will be great to watch another movie that is part of a series that I watched as a kid.

For a service that had such an artificially high demand, the tech industry has not really capitalized on Video Chat. When Apple unveiled their video chat service 'FaceTime' in June of 2010, many thought that this would become the primary standardized service used by all. In practice, FaceTime is a clunky system that is evidently less productive and convenient than just vocal or text communication. So why hasn't video conferencing taken off as the industry had hoped? The answer is most likely because there is no standardized system and the market is too saturated; Polycom Inc. hopes to adress this issue by introducing a Universal Video Chat in early 2013. The product (called RealPresence CloudAxis) monetizes all of your contacts from Skype, Facebook, Google Talk and other apps into one place - all hosted on a web browser. This is a very ambitious task and if it delivers on what Polycom says (with the "same security and reliability as enterprise systems"), then there may be some validity to the video conference service. This relates to Privacy and Security because when monetizing a group of services, there is a chance for data leak and possible identity theft; Polycom promises to adress all security issues in order to make a safe and immersive experience for its users. This relates to eLifestyle because companies and their consumers have been trying for the past years to create a universal video chat service that actually worked in order to establish a multi-faceted social network: it might be too early to tell if Polycom has something that will fulfill the needs of consumers. This relates to ICS20 because as a class, we are no stranger to multiple accounts that often times serve the same purpose. As consumers, we hope for a streamlined service that can connect all of our multiple accounts into one place, preferably on a browser. It will be hard for Polycom, both legally and economically, to convince all of these pre-existing video chat developers to allow Polycom to

Google's very own Gmail has overtaken Hotmail as the world's most-used email service. ComSorce released its data confirming that Gmail had 287 million unique worldwide visitors last month, while Hotmail received 256 million. I personally have both accounts but I use Gmail as my more personal email than my Hotmail. I always thought Gmail was ahead of the game by far. However, after seeing this statistic, Gmail is only a hair more popular than Hotmail. Don't forget Yahoo. In third place, with 281 million visitors, Yahoo is top three on the most visited email service.I believe that after Gmail has finally surpassed Hotmail, the gap of visitors between Gmail and Hotmail and even Yahoo will increase drastically with Gmail in first place by far.

Many countries recently blocked access to The Pirate Bay, a torrenting website, in order to prevent the illegal downloading of films, music, programs, and more. However, these efforts were futile, as many users are simply turning to proxy servers to allow them to bypass their countries censorship. Torrenting sites have always been risky territory for users, and as of late, more and more sites have been taking down in order to prevent pirating. The Pirate Bay has an insanely high volume of traffic, and it hasn't slowed down in recent times. It is noted in this article that the only way to rid of TPB is to physically shut down the servers, but even if that were to happen, users are simply going to move to the next site. Whether or not piracy negatively affects the income of the producers of the material being distributed is debatable, however the fact remains true that this process is completely illegal.  As a frequent torrenter, I hope that TPB will continue to thrive at it's current level. My hope is that all these pushes against torrenting will make the industries behind said files realize that users refuse to pay the ridiculous prices and taxes on content. This realization will hopefully lead to cheaper costs on retail products in the media industry, thus removing the need for pirating and torrenting. It will take awhile, but as long as the high price industry standards are in place, torrenting will continue to occur, and no legal matter will be able to stop it. If the internet is to truly be 'free', than laws and limitations should not be placed on content provided. #BarbieJXoXo

This is the greatest article of all time.

I am not the same guy as this poster, but I think he is beautiful

In 2012 Chrysler is releasing a new feature for the Dodge Dart. They will have a place where you can put your iPhone securely in your car and it will charge. There are no wires required although your phone must have this special case on it. It is a small compartment where you're phone can be placed and charge without it moving as you drive. I think this is convenient because you wouldn't need those cables to charge your phone in the car, and eliminates the distraction of the wire.

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.

We all know about those little cameras on our cell phones or iPods, but have you ever considered a mini camera in your smoke detector or maybe even a rock? Well, maybe you should start. This article shows us various, unexpected places where small cameras can be hidden. It provides a glimpse at just how much technology has evolved throughout the years and forces us to face the reality that we're living in 2012. Technology is everywhere, even in places that we would never have expected. This article shows not only how advanced technology has become, but also how creative and discreet. I mean, I never would have thought twice about that rock sitting by the tree on my way to school, but now I'm starting to think that I should have. Every day, we encounter countless items that have become so normal for us. A ring, a tissue box, a car remote; we wouldn't even think about the possibility of a hidden camera in these commonplace items. Now, the question remains, is this kind of more advanced technology always better? Sure, these hidden cameras can be used by law enforcement and such to do surveillance, but what about the possibility of this falling into the wrong hands. In our world, we know that it's not difficult at all to get a hold of this kind of technology and to be perfectly honest, that makes me a little nervous. Despite the fact that this post was meant to be light-hearted and interesting, it also raises awareness about the risks of such technology. Before reading this article I never would have thought that the wallet that lady at the mall was holding could really have been a camera recording my every move, but now I've realized that things aren't always what they look like, especially in this day and age. After reading this post, I think I'm going to be a little more vigilant and probably also more paranoid, because we can never know if or where there is a hidden camera.

If you are an inspiring artist, Google has a job for you. Doodle 4 Google is an opportunity for young artists to show what they've got and use their imagination to create a doodle for the Google homepage. The theme for the year is "If I could invent one thing to make the world a better place...." and the submissions must be sent in by March 20, which is fast approaching. The winning doodle will be featured on the homepage of Google for a day and if that's not enough, the winner will receive a $30,000 college scholarship and a $50,000 Google for Education technology grant for his or her school of choice. On April 29, the 50 finalists will be open for the public to vote their winner and the winning doodle will be revealed sometime in June. Only one doodle per student is accepted so if you are interested in participating (only if you live in the states) then you can download an entry form on their Doodle 4 Google site. I think this is a great idea for students to tap into their creative sides and think about how they can change the world. Full classrooms are encouraged to participate which is a great idea for teachers to spend the day teaching the kids how they can make a difference to the lives around them.

Though Internet Explorer is still reigning as the most used browser. There is one other, though, that may challenge it's reign: Chrome. Right now, Chrome and Firefox are battling for the number two spot. For the longest time, Firefox held that place; now - times they-are-a-changin'. Chrome's usage has grown by 50%, and is expected to take over second place by Christmas time. Not only that, but Internet Explorer is also expected to fall sometime soon, though it is hard to say specifically. Chrome is doing well, for the reason specifically that it is surpassing all, others, and a fan favorite, so to speak.

A not so shocking discovery that apple and all apple products are produced in china and other places out side of America.  Americans take pride in the facts that they are on top of one of the largest industries in the world. Although, if most of the products are being made out side of the states can Americans really take pride in Apple and be proud to call it their own when they are supplying jobs out of the country when America could use them most.

A not so shocking discovery that apple and all apple products are produced in china and other places out side of America.  Americans take pride in the facts that they are on top of one of the largest industries in the world. Although, if most of the products are being made out side of the states can Americans really take pride in Apple and be proud to call it their own when they are supplying jobs out of the country when America could use them most.

This article states how the Kindle E-reader has evolved over the years, how Amazon has lowered its book prices so much so people would buy e-readers and book buyers would go to Amazon.com and get books instead of going to a book store, and how people try to destroy Amazon for almost having a monopoly of it. Many people like this because new Kindle E-readers cost from $69 to about $100 and many of their book cost from about $1 and up. Also Amazon helped self publishing authors sell their books. The Kindle E-reader has evolved from being a big electronic book with many books in it and having pages flipping crazy if your hand was in the place. Now it has evolved to be a slim e-reader with a brighter screen and having cheap books to buy and not as clunky. A few years ago Apple and five big publishing companies made a contract to stop Amazon from selling books so cheap. The publishing companies would only sell books on apple products. In April of this year the Department of Justice sued Apple and the five publishing companies to stop Apple from trying to get the monopoly on selling books on their products. It is portable computing because people know can have hundreds of books in a device the size of a small book and you don't need to keep buying bookshelves that take a lot of space and the books it has are cheap. It is very light and people can take it anywhere they want to. It is eLifestyle because you a many people in the bus or subway reading away on their e-reader comfortably without having a big book to carry. Many people use it because they can't carry that much weight.    

The hugely anticipated Windows 8 operating system by Microsoft has aired its first ad today. Microsoft is reportedly spending a huge amount of money on advertising Windows 8 along with the new Microsoft Tablet, called the "Surface." Microsoft is holding a special media launch for Surface and Windows 8 on October 25. Furthermore, a number of stores will open at midnight October 26 to sell Windows 8 PCs and Tablets. I think that in order for the new tablet Microsoft is releasing to be successful and sell out to customers, they should start advertising it way more. I haven't even heard of it until reading this article, and with so many other tablets on the market, what makes this one so special? The fact that it runs on Windows 8 is simply not enough to sell the "Surface" in large amounts. Windows 8 will probably become very successful, as Microsoft is a trusted company when it comes to operating systems, and many people worldwide use different versions of Windows. In conclusion, i would focus more on advertising the new tablet rather than Windows 8, and airing these advertisements in as many places around the world as possible to attract worldwide customers.

"Back in the day, we had to use this thing called paper".  This statement could potential be used in the future.  During the American Music Awards on November 18, 2012, presenters used the Galaxy Note II to announce winners, instead of using the traditional paper and envelope. This is could change the future because in the future, there is a chance that we will not use paper any more, but we will use technology for literally everything, such as schoolwork, writing a letter (email), etc.    Instead of people carrying a book everywhere, they will be bringing around e-readers, and all sorts of mobile devices.  Paper could potentially become useless to us since we have technology which stores and organizes many different files in one machine, whereas papers could be organized, or it could be all over the place, depending on who you are.  So in short, technology is good, in a sense that is a great organizational tool. This is environmentally important because instead of destroying trees (which provide us oxygen, food, etc) for paper, we could spare the trees, and just use technology instead.  Sure, we would need to clear land to build manufacturing companies to create these devices, but it takes up less space and kills less trees, then producing paper, because using paper means that we have to take down the tree, ans well as clear land to build manufacturing companies, and writing utensils as well.  This relates to our class because we are a computers class, and we rely on technology for almost 100% of our work.  In the future, when technology does take over and paper becomes useless, we will have the upper hand because we know how most of these technologies work.  

Scientists are researching new ways to grow food in space as farming on Earth becomes more advanced. Scientists have developed things like growing crops with LED light or heating greenhouses with waste nuclear power station heat. There are also farms that are automatic and self-sustaining. This gave scientists the idea of growing food in space since astronauts usually eat only pre-packaged food in space and a balanced diet is essential for extended trips. If all farms became fully automated, traditional farm technology companies will go out of business unless they could adapt because their products would no longer be needed. If companies started shutting down, it could cause some economic instability since many workers would be without work.Automated farming equipment will also raise questions if automated technology will spread to other industries. Since the Western world is a capitalist system, company owners really only care about their profit and will not mind investing in technology that can do what workers did for free as automated technology becomes more common. This advancement could also result in the collapse of the labour workforce since technology can take their place for less money. I hope that automated technology will not spread to other industries other than farming because the economy is already unstable as it is, deteriorating the labour workforce can put the world into economic turmoil. I can understand funding automated farming for sustaining long term space missions since astronauts could lack certain nutrients because of the absence of fresh food..

With all that's been happening with the Super storm, Hurricane Sandy, social networking may seem far from our mind, but it turns out social network sites, like twitter has become a common source for breaking news about what's going on in different places. At times like these, people often join together and find courage and compassion in one another, while others simply seek to make the problem worse. That's what happened when someone had tweeted false news about the hurricane, like tweeting about the New York Stock Exchange building being flooded and under three feet of water. The rumor had spiralled and even been repeated on CNN and the Weather Channel before being found fake. Normally, false tweets are simply overlooked or scoffed at, but at times like this those kinds of tweets can create mass panic and worry. They are definitely immoral, but what has come into question is whether it should be considered illegal. Some think that this type of tweeting was done to increase fear and endanger, but should his behaviour be considered criminal? After all, he does have freedom of speech and the freedom to lie is included in that, except in "rare occasions". Personally, I think that, normally, silly, fake tweets can be overlooked and just scrolled past, but in times of emergency, tweets like this that can add more fear and panic to an already troubled situation should be considered a criminal action. In times of crisis, everybody should be uniting and helping each other, not creating more danger and trouble. Freedom to lie in the face of disaster like this, about that kind of information is not something that should be tolerated. No matter how big or small the aftermath and reaction to those tweets, they should not be overlooked and in no way should the law consider it okay.

My article is on Google's recent announcement that they will discontinue Google Reader, among other services. There was a strong response to this because there are many people who use it on a daily basis.  Google Reader is a RSS feed, or Really Simple Syndication or Rich Site Summary. Basically it is a technology that tracks websites for updates. Imagine you love to get your news from the Internet, and you like to go on The Verge, Wired, Lifehacker and Gawker. You visit all of those sites daily to get the news. But when you frequent a lot of websites, going to them all separately may start to take a lot of time. So here comes Google Reader, where you subscribe to all the various sites and get direct updates sent to just this one place, making it easier to absorb information. There are several different RSS feeds, but Google Reader is one of the more popular ones, and thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of people use this service daily. Google stated that over the years Google Reader's usage has declined, but that still means there are many people who rely on it go get all their information.  When Google announced its plan to discontinue the service, many people were lost as to why they would stop such a seemingly successful service and this has now lost the trust of Google by many people.  Regardless, it is clear that many people will have to find a new RSS feed or go back to visiting every website manually.

Recently, there have been a lot of passcode exploits, especially on the iPhone and Samsun Galaxy. On the iPhone, it can allow the attacker to access their way into the Phone app, letting them place calls, see/edit contacts, and access photos via the "assign new picture" option. On the Samsung Galaxy, the attacker can flash whatever was open before the phone was locked for a second. This is enough time to launch an app, which can be repeatedly downloaded and completely unlock your phone. The article suggests the user of the phone should download the Apple's Find my iPhone app or Prey, which can track the location of your smartphone if it is ever lost or stolen. This, they say is the best protection for your personal information stored on your phone. These passcode exploits can let one worry and doubt how much protection the lock screen actually provides. The truth is they are no more secure than any other password or PIN, which means they can eventually be cracked. However, it is still suggested to always lock your screen, just in case it is robbed by someone who does not know anything about getting around locked screens. Many companies are aware of the issues and is releasing new techniques, like the iOS 6.1.3. Hopefully, with time, these password problems will not be an issue anymore.

Bitcoin, a wildly popular virtual currency has reached the status of a billion dollar market. For those unaware, Bitcoin in an online currency and market, somewhat like Paypal. What makes it different is that it strives under no rules or government regulations. It works on a peer to peer basis, where a database journals transactions and ensure security among it's users. Created in 2009, Bitcoin hasn't been able to hit the mainstream market, that is, until now. Up until this point, Bitcoin has been seen as a shady form of currency, used mainly to conceal illegal transactions over the internet. However, due to the support it has been given by large networks such as Reddit, Bitcoin has been able to access a mainstream market, where it continues to grow and prosper today. It is clear that virtual currency will have a chunk of market space in the future, but how long until the government tries to shut it down or bare down regulations? And if these regulations are in place, will online markets such as Bitcoin be able to remain popular? Only time will tell.