Scariest New Tech Trend of 2012

SXSW has a lot going on, including a major showcase for the most cutting-edge technology out there.  One of the new trends that has people buzzing is "ambient social networking".  In other words, apps like Facebook are probably going to start using your phone's GPS for more than tagging pictures and telling you what restaurants are near by.  They are going to start telling you when your friends are in the vicinity, and maybe even friends of your friends.  How scary is that?  What do you think?  Cool, annoying, or flat-out dangerous?  Leave your comments below, and you can read more about it here.

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Facebook Will Have 1 Billion Users by August

No, that's not a typo.  One BILLION users.  If you're wondering how big that really is, let's put it this way:  If Facebook were a country, it would be the third-largest in the world, just behind China and India.  Next in line would be the United States, with just over 300 million.  No, that's not a typo, either.  Facebook has 3 times as many users as the U.S. has PEOPLE.  Pretty impressive considering that less than a decade ago you couldn't even join unless you had a Harvard email account.  Now, the social media site has branched out from college kids to teens, grandparents, and everyone in between.

So, what do you think about all this?  Is it an impressive accomplishment?  What about the impact of Facebook on society?  Positive or negative?  Why?

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CES: A Look Into the Future

Some of the new gadgets being introduced at this years CES in Las Vegas:

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10 Ways Cellphones Have Changed Our Lives

In an article for CNN, Doug Gross lists 10 ways our lives have been changed now that we're a "mobile society", and they're not all good:

1. Meeting up is easier
2. There's no excuse to be bored
3. Fast-twitch brains
4. You're always around
5. Horror movies had to get more creative
6. Smile!  You're on camera!
7. Update Anxiety
8. Access to so many gadgets in just one device
9. Conversation killer (in a bad way)
10. Conversation killer (in a semi-good way)

Check out the article for a more in-depth discussion of all these topics.  CNN does a good job of pointing out all the positives and negatives concerning each one.

What do you think?  Is the world a better place because of mobile devices?  Are we more connected, or less?  Can you add anything to the list?  Leave your comments below!

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Apple Founder Passes Away at Age 56

Even if you've never owned an iPod, iPhone, iPad, or an iMac (chances are, most of you either do or have at some point), your life has still been impacted by the innovation and vision of Steve Jobs.  Yes, he's the guy that founded Apple in his parents' garage over 30 years ago.  But he's also the guy that embraced the idea of the personal computer, the mouse, and the graphic interface.  Before that, computers were mostly just computation devices that ordinary people had absolutely no use for.  Today, 75% of homes in America have a personal computer, and the phones and mp3 players that almost everyone carries around are at least partly inspired by the inventions of Jobs.  Still a doubter?  Check out this article on "10 Ways Steve Jobs Changed the World", and take a look at the video below, which is a sort of a "greatest hits" compilation of his career:

How have Jobs' innovations and inventions impacted your life?  Which do think played a bigger part in his success: his innovation, or his charisma?  Do you think Apple can maintain its stature at the top of the consumer electronics market without Jobs running the show?  Why or why not?  Leave your comments below, and if you'd like to know more about his career, here's a timeline in pictures at CNN.

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Occupying Wall Street

We saw a short report on the "Occupy Wall Street" protests today on CNN Student News.  If you're still wondering what this movement is all about, it basically amounts to a reflection of the frustration of middle America.  Many are convinced that the tough times we have endured over the past couple years have not been equally experienced or shared by the biggest corporations and the wealthiest individuals in this country.  Many of these people also believe that, in large part, our government no longer represents the people, but those who fund their campaigns (i.e. huge corporations and the wealthy).  And now, largely because of social media (Facebook, Twitter, etc.), what began as a localized protest in New York City has evolved into a nationwide movement that is currently 3 weeks in the running. This cartoon attempts to explain the beliefs of those who are fueling the movement:

What do you think?  Do you agree with the movement's principles?  Do you agree with their methods?  What other impacts do you think social media has had on our society?

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The History of Nintendo

Time for a serious question.  How much do you really know about Nintendo?  For instance, did you know the company is over 100 years old?  Or that it tried its hand at multiple other business ventures before video games?  How about the fact that it owns a major sports franchise?  If your life has been impacted by this influential company as much as mine has, you might be interested in checking out this list of Nintendo facts at Mashable.

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Got Facebook or Twitter?

If so, you can now follow the class here and here.  You can also find links on the right side of this page (scroll down if you don't see them).  See you there!

Satellite Paranoia

Via Informed Comment:

Worried about Satellite fragments raining from space?  BBC says "don't".  According to their report, NASA says you have a one in twenty trillion chance of being hit by fragments from the Satellite that will be falling back to earth this weekend, which makes it 20 million times less likely than your chances of being hit by lightning this year.  Video from The Telegraph:

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