Apple's iPad

Recently Apple, one of the worlds greatest tech companies released their newest creation to the world. The iPad is supposed to hit stores in March and will shock the world with its incredible features. It is said to breach the gap between cell phones and laptops. Apple said it was hoping to give people an invention that will fill in users gap between their iPhones and MacBook computers. The media has been giving Apple a great deal of grief about the product. Critics are asking the question, “what can this product do for the that my laptop or smartphone can’t do. The answer is this, it can’t do anything more that either your smartphone or laptop can do. The iPad not only looks like a large iPhone, but that is exactly what the product is and does. The iPad just makes everything an individual does on their iPod/ iPhone just a little more exciting and easier to do because of its larger LED screen. The problem I have with the iPad is that I just do not see it being worth the money nor do I think I would actually use the product enough to make the high price worth paying. Although there are plenty of Apple enthusiasts who I am sure will go out and buy this new handheld device because that’s what they do ever time Apple releases a new product I just cannot see this creation being a big hit on the market. Already since Apple first introduced their invention to the world reviews have been mediocre at best unlike other products such as the iPhone, iPod, or MacBook Pros. It just seems odd to me that Apple would waist their time making a product before thoroughly researching the marketplace for it. Usually when Apple comes out with a new product they have created something new and original that no other company ever thought of, but this time it seems like they have not wowed everyone to the extent they usually do. My hope is that the next time Apple unveils a product to the world that they produce something truly unique that gets the consumer fired up for purchase like they have done for the iPhone, iPod, or MacBooks.

Smartphone Applications

Ever since the .com boom in the 1990’s every aspect of computers has advanced to the next level. Twenty years ago technological companies would never have imagined the success we have achieved today. Even ten years ago it would have been hard to imagine the smartphones, iPods, or laptops we have available right as our fingertips. Now one of the highest advances we have are all of the applications available for our iPhones, droids, blackberries, and other smartphones. Now an individual can do as much if not more on their cell phone than they can do on their computers, and users can thank Apple for this. The iPhone, one of Apple’s greatest creations ever, is the leading personal handheld device in the world with more than 200,000 applications available on the market. Since the creation of the iPhone web companies have all rushed to create some form of an application for their company and their products. What is amazing is that some of these products actually make more sense to use mobily than they do from a computer. Examples would include google maps, map quest, or Zagat restaurant guide. All of these products are used to help their users find something in an unfamiliar area. With the Zagat restaurant guide an individual can find a good recommendation for a dinner reservation and once the person finds a place to go they can use google maps or map quest to find their way to the restaurant. At this point in our lives technology only exists to make our lives easier and there is no better way to do this than to buy a smartphone and use the applications that have been created to help their customers.

Baseball and Steroids

Ever since 1998 when Mark McGuire broke the record for the most homeruns hit in one season and tested positive for steroids, major league baseball has been under the spotlight about cracking down on players using performance enhancing drugs. Back 50-100 years ago, baseball was known for its hardworking, honest athletes. Some of the best players ever to have played the game, existed back then, many of whom set records that still exist today.

Personally, I do not understand why players today find the use of steroids a necessity to gain an advantage on the playing field. Hank Aaron, Ted Williams, and Babe Ruth, were three of the greatest baseball players to ever play the game, yet none of them took performance enhancing drugs to help improve their game. In 1941, Ted Williams had a batting average of .406 batting which included 37 home runs, 120 RBIs, 135 runs scored, and a .551 on base percentage. Today Ted Williams still holds the record for the highest batting average in one season (with a .406) and his .551 on base percentage record stood for 61 years before another player beat his record. Similarly, in 1927, Babe Ruth was the first baseball player to hit over 60 home runs in one season. His record was not over-turned until 1961 when Roger Maris hit 61 homeruns in a single season. Babe Ruth also held the record for the most career home runs with 714, which was not surpassed until 39 years later in 1974 when Hank Aaron hit 755 career home runs. Hank Aaron’s record stood for 33 years when Barry Bonds broke his record by achieving a mark of 762 career home runs.

It amazes me that players today find steroid use a necessity in order to be competitive. Within Major League Baseball steroid use has become such a problem that it seems almost all of the top competitors appear to be using them. In 2003, Major League Baseball did an anonymous steroid test to gain a perspective on how large the steroid issue really was. The players agreed to this test with the understanding that their names would not be shared with the public. In July 2009, the list of players who tested positive for performance enhancing drugs was revealed to the public by an unidentified person, creating a great deal of controversy. From this point forward the media and baseball fans everywhere have scrutinized the players whose names appeared on the list. The releasing of this highly classified information led to the league cracking down on offenders. The commissioner of baseball was forced to put several new rules and regulations in place to catch players using doping as well as punish those who took steroids.

Space Travel Made Public

It is amazing to me that it was almost 50 years ago in 1961 when the world sent the first manned space shuttle into space. At the time Internet did not exist and televisions were just starting to become popular, it is hard to imagine humans had the capability to travel to such lengths. It was not until 8 years later (in 1969) that Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, and Edwin Aldrin Jr. first landed on the moon. At the time space travel seemed almost unreal, but the fact of the matter was it happened. Since that time period the world has evolved, technology has grown exponentially into our everyday lives. What is astonishing today is that the world is now talking about having space travel available to everyday people. Virgin Group’s Richard Branson has made it his goal to make space travel a possibility for civilians. Although the cost for traveling to space is a mere $200,000, I find it incredible to think that one day I might be able to take a trip into space. The current initiative is to offer tickets for a trip to outer space lasting about 2 ½ hours, however their long-term goal is to have hotels, museums, and other activities offered while visiting space. They would like to make space travel an option for a family vacation. It is funny to think that in the future parents are going to surprise their kids with a family vacation to outer space instead of a cruise to the Caribbean or a trip to Disney World. Although it has been 50 years since the world first saw outer space I find it incredible that soon space travel will be an everyday occurrence for the average person.

The iPod Revolution

Over the last decade technology has truly innovated the way people live their lives on a daily basis. I cannot believe how far we have come in such a short period of time. I can remember when I was a young boy, in grade school, and my father got his first cell phone. At the time everyone was amazed at how complex or a creation these cell phone were. The interesting thing to remember is what capabilities his phone had to offer. I remember the phone being literally the size of a brick and it weighed just as much. It amazes me how far we have come in such a short period of time. In one decade we have surpassed all creations made from the beginning of mankind until the late 1990’s. I look at all the options available today, and cannot believe what there is available. A consumer has a vast number of options to choose from in all areas. When it comes to cell phones the selection is vast. One has many options of smart phones, which include: iPhones, Blackberries, and the new Android phone made by google. These are only a few choices from a large list. Although phones are only one of the many technological wonders offered in the world I think the most prominent invention available is Apple’s iPod.

The iPod made its world debut in 2001 with what appeared to be one of the most amazing consumer products ever offered. Since then its creator, Apple’s CEO, Steve Jobs has done everything in his power to keep his product the pinnacle of consumer electronics. He has done this by continually changing his products and options available within the iPod lineup. He has done everything from changing the original black and white screen to a colored screen, from making an iPod with photo viewing capabilities, to a model with movie viewing capabilities, from small iPods, to even smaller iPods, from the iPod mini to the iPod nano, from touch screens, to iPods as small as a stick of gum, and his latest creation: the iPhone. Chances are if you can think of an option the iPod might have its probable that it exists on current models or existed on previous generations. The only concept Apple has not created is an iPod with television, which will surely be available at some point in the future.

Although iPods have drastically transformed technology, they have also significantly changed the music industry. When someone thinks of music, they think of an iPod. It doesn’t matter where you are in the world, no matter where you are you will always see the iPod’s universal presence. Whether it is commercial on TV, an advertisement on a billboard, or someone listening to his or her iPod its presence surrounds you.

Technology is continuing to change and affect the world everyday. It used to be that new technology would last for about one decade before being replaced by superior creations, however in the last 10 years technology seems to get replaced quicker and quicker. These days new technology replaces the existing option about every 6 months, creating new opportunities for the consumer.



Article referenced can be viewed at: http://silverchips.mbhs.edu/story/3964