Michael Wesch delivers a powerful message regarding how we educate ourselves in the classroom. Wesch uses several examples of the psychology of learning in the modern world and how we can take steps to correct the outdated patterns of teaching. His critique of higher education is on point and easily understood. His biggest message is that we need to consider alternative learning environments that utilize new media in ways we have not yet seen. We should challenge the notion that critical thinking is the linchpin of education, and look to enhance and augment how we learn.

This beautifully animated four-minute mini-film provides a simple yet profound response to a poignant question: What is the connection between social networks and being lonely?

This article lays out a semi-realistic landscape of the closer future of the internet of things. The provided infographic is a barrage corporate logos separated into sections of lifestyle and platforms. The image itself is a little disturbing, putting into mind a close future surrounded by a cloud of companies, infiltrating our homes with even more information invading our privacy. That being said I liked this article in particular because it did not have a cynical view of the internet of things and did not suggest we judge the validity of the technology on the worst case scenario. I think it's important to be paranoid, but not so much as to stall progress. Turck, Matt. "Making Sense Of The Internet Of Things" Tech Crunch. May 35, 2013. Accessed March 19, 2014. http://techcrunch.com/2013/05/25/making-sense-of-the-internet-of-things/

This article pinpoints an hilarious side effect of the internet of things: smart fridges and TVs reportedly spamming email accounts on the regular. Although the article is humorous in its approach it highlights a smaller side effect of unstable technology in the hands of unorganized tech companies. With such small steps towards the internet of things already breaking down in communication we should be weary of pushing these technologies in the hands of marketeers and manipulators; the potential for abuse is far too great.

Marshal, Gary. "Internet of Bad Things: it's time to get paranoid about your fridge." Tech Radar. January 17, 2014. Accessed March 19, 2014. http://www.techradar.com/news/internet/internet-of-bad-things-it-s-time-to-get-paranoid-about-your-fridge-1216209

Apple.com, 1996-2014

The design layout of the page is cosmetically very different from contemporary design practices. The use of color and typography isn't precise or functional in the way that it would speak to the brand's ideology of today's Apple. The landing page is more of a "news" page with hyperlinks to stories of Apple's news. The site is no doubt limited by the web's capabilities but is also a very straight forward, engineered approach; an extension of the culture of Apple at the time; a company of engineers, inventors, and tinkerers, rather than artists and designers. Much more emphasis was placed on the function of the website, rather than the form. By comparison the news section still exists on the landing page, only it has been relegated to a 6pt size link on the bottom right of the landing page. Apple now features products on the landing page, rather than news about events. Although, I do know the keynote speeches are featured on the landing page once a year. From 1996, up until the 1998, the layout was a menu of links on the left side of the page, a cluttered and unfocused aesthetic. In 1998 the iMac is first introduced along with an entirely clean aesthetic throughout the website. Only the necessary information is readily available; shifting the viewer's focus to the product, rather than the company itself. In the year 2000, the top-centered navigation bar is introduced, an design decision still used today on the Apple website. The aesthetic itself is relying heavily on skeuomorphism, with harsh drop shadows and faux buttons abound. Unfortunately, most of the links do not work, limiting me to a view of the landing page throughout time. Interestingly, most of the design layouts remain similar to the established aesthetic in the early 2000's, up until 2013 when Apple began to move away from skeuomorphic design and into a flattened out, more streamlined appearance.