New Black Friday twist: 'Check in' and save big

http://money.cnn.com/2010/11/24/technology/black_friday_checkin_deals/index.htm

This CNN article talks about how shoppers are getting discounts for checking into stores on their phones while shopping. There are so many apps that use your location and stores are considering this as a form of advertisement. I do not use any of those apps because I still feel like they are a bit creepy and annoying but I think this is an easy way to get a discount at a store. Yet another way that technology is playing a part in the modern world.

Long 'Harry Potter' movie clip leaked

http://www.cnn.com/2010/TECH/web/11/16/harry.potter.torrent.sites.mashable/index.html

This CNN article talks about how 36 minutes of the seventh "Harry Potter" film has been leaked out online via torrents. This is just another way that technology can be used in negative ways. It is not right for people to do this because they are causing movie theaters and the production companies serious losses. The good thing for this case is that it was only 36 minutes so it does not really have the potential to cause any damage. I have used torrents to watch movies in the past but do not still currently do so. I have found that most of the movies are either terrible quality or leave me with some kind of virus on my computer. I urge people not to watch torrents and get out there and see the movie in the theater, the way it was meant to be enjoyed.

New Facebook privacy tip: Super-Logoff

http://www.cnn.com/2010/TECH/social.media/11/12/facebook.superlogoff/index.html

This CNN article talks about how many young users are worried about their privacy on Facebook. As a result, they are deactivating their accounts each time they want to use the site. They do not simply click the log-off button. After they log-on after having deactivating, their settings and wall posts, etc. are restored. I think that this is a bit extreme. If users are that worried about their privacy on Facebook, then they should not even be using it. After all, it is a social networking site, meant to share your information with friends. A huge perk to Facebook is also how not everyone has to be online at the same time. Simply deactivating your account makes it difficult for your friends to keep in contact with you over Facebook. I think this is a bad idea and defeats the purpose for even having a Facebook profile.

iPhone gives Europe extra hour of sleep

http://m.cnn.com/primary/_vVJeiu-ipHn8InwN7

This CNN article talks about a bug in the iPhone alarm clock app in Europe this past Sunday. It was daylight savings time there and the app did not adjust, causing iPhone users to sleep an extra hour. I found this article especially interesting because I have a few iPhone user friends who this happened to. It's weird that it was able to happen all the way in the US when we did not even have a time change. While technology, especially iPhones, is great, this shows how over reliant people are on it. They rely on their iPhones to wake them up in the morning. The good thin is that since so many people use the iPhone, your excuse for being late to work seems more valid.

Texts, maps battle Haiti cholera outbreak

Technology is helping the Haitian citizens battle the recent outbreak of cholera. Health workers are able to send text messages and Twitter posts to people in the area, letting them know about the symptoms and what to do if they are infected. They are also mapping out areas, letting the citizens know where to go for clean water. This article is just showing another way that technology is changing lives around the globe. It's great that they are using technology to combat the recent health disaster in Haiti.

Internet about to hit 2 billion users

The Internet is about to hit 2 billion users. According to the CNN article, this can be attributed to the rising popularity of the Internet in developing countries. It's hard to believe that the internet is something that people all around the world have access to and use just like we do in America. This article was really eye opening because I never would have thought the internet had that many users.

'Zeus Trojan' zaps $3 million from bank accounts

http://money.cnn.com/2010/09/30/technology/cyber_crime_charges/index.htm

This article from CNN shows how people can use technology in dishonest ways. These 37 hackers sent emails, scamming people into sharing their bank account passwords. They used these passwords to empty $3 million from bank accounts. Technology has rapidly changed the way we bank today in many important ways. However, this is the scary part about banking online. It makes it all the more easier for a hacker to gain access to your account. I bank online and have had my account hacked into before, however I was able to catch it before any money was stolen. Online banking users need to be aware and make sure that they never share their passwords or routing numbers with anyone. The banks already have this information and would never ask for it. Even though this is a scary threat, I still continue to use online banking and think it is a great and easy way to bank.

Blackberry tablet

The article, Is a BlackBerry tablet coming next week? shares a lot of information about a possible new product. I think it would be a good idea to introduce this product just to offer more competition to the iPad. Some users might like one gadget better than the other so it would give them more options to consider when purchasing. The tablet would be almost identical to the iPad in that it is not in conjunction with cellular service but still offers Wi-Fi. This would be a great product for BlackBerry to introduce, if they can make it match the iPad.

Use is growing, but some adults still apps-backward

The CNN article, Use is growing, but some adults still apps-backward was definitely eye-opening for me. It talks about the low percentage of US adults who actually use the apps on their smartphones. Many adults did not even know that they had apps on their phones. I thought that an overwhelming majority of the population used apps. The article also mentions that these applications on smart phones are still in their infancy, which is contrary to what I had previously believed about this innovation. All in all, I think people should look more into phones before buying them and only purchase a smartphone if they are really going to use it. Many people may be paying more for a fancy phone and have no clue that they're doing it. The market should offer some more basic phones for these adults who have no clue how to even use a smartphone.

So, who's still buying Netbooks?

The CNN article, So, who's still buying Netbooks? makes many good points about the recent downfall of netbooks. Netbooks are offered as a middle option to a smartphone or a notebook. One possible reason for the loss of netbook sales could be attributed to the recent release of the ipad. The ipad sells for a similar price as the netbook and offers comparable features. Therefore, consumers have more options. Also, tablets can offer buyers more features than netbooks. Tablets are taking over a large portion of the netbook's market.

I agree with this article that tablets and ipads can offer more than netbooks. They also have a more edgy design than a netbook. Netbooks were a huge deal when they were first introduced and were probably just a fad. I can see their emergence in the market fading in the coming years.

iTunes Ping: The missing thing

http://www.cnn.com/2010/TECH/social.media/09/03/cashmore.itunes.ping/index.html?iref=allsearch

I found this article on CNN about Apple's new social network that is in conjunction with iTunes. This social network is meant for users to connect with their friends over musical tastes. It claims to suggest new artists that are similar to the ones you personally like. Ping is trying to compete with other social networking sites by offering different options.

The article talks about how Apple's new network falls short in many aspects. First, its musical suggestions actually have little to do with the artists you like. Especially when the user first starts using Ping, it suggests popular artists. I can see how this would be disappointing for users whose musical tastes are beyond mainstream. The article says that the program almost always suggests Lady GaGa for every user. It seems evident that Ping is trying to use these musical icons to draw in more users.

Another frustrating thing about this new social network is the lack of artists. Since not many iTunes artists know about Ping yet, they would have to be in contact with Apple to create a profile. The article asserts that Apple has to send artists invitations to Ping. This sounds like trouble for independent artists who want to be heard.

All in all, I think Apple had many great ideas in releasing Ping, but it seems that their new program is missing a few key elements. Since Apple is really in sync with their consumers, they will most likely work on improving the social network to how the consumers see fit. Ping may be lacking now, but it will no doubt be better in the future.