Assignment 5-1

The other day I decided I wanted to purchase a new cell phone since mine broke into a million pieces. I knew off the bat I wanted to use Cincinnati Bell as my service provider because I think they offer the best usage plans and they also do not require a service contract like other companies. Since I do not have a vehicle right now and my internet was down that day I decided to just call Cincinnati Bell to inquire about a new phone and plan. The customer service they provided was awesome. I just told the guy what I wanted and did not want in a phone and he literally matched one up for me. I told him I wanted good picture and video quality, a MP3 player, good antenna, and capable of holding a memory card. I also told him I prefer the Nokia phones because I've been using them since I was 14. He suggested the Nokia 6086 which has everything I want and more. The camera and video quality are awesome, and the best feature is that the antenna has the capability of running off WiFi. This means that when you are not in range of the towers, your phone can tap into a WiFi connection. I live in Okeana so my cell phone NEVER works, but since my phone offers the WiFi capability, I have full service at my house. This is a huge step forward for cell phones. I wonder what they'll think of next!

Assignment 1-3

For the past couple of weeks I have been absorbing the context of the article written by Gary Hoppenstand. Even though the article is rather brief, the author effectively delivers his message. It did not take me very long to discover that message. Basically, Hoppenstand is speaking to a general audience about the “ever changing nature of contemporary popular culture” (Hoppenstand, 369). His ideas can be understood by anyone in society that has lived through technological advances. He uses a variety of words to describe these advances that influence mass media. For instance, he uses common language such as “DVD”, “internet”, “recorded music”, and “television shows.” He tries to engage the audience with his simplistic language and provide examples to which they can easily relate. Anyone from today’s society can grasp the concept of how technology is a part of our ever changing popular culture by reading this article.
Hoppenstand presents a couple theories in his article. One is that although the story may be “eternal”, “the products disseminating that story” are not and are subject to technological advances. He started talking about this television series he watched as a child called The Man from U.N.C.L.E. As he became an adult, he ended up purchasing the complete set from Time Life on DVD. After doing this, he remembered buying prior films on various video formats such as beta videotape, laser disc, and then VHS video tape. These formats are all obsolete and the DVD format is not far behind. He informs us that Blu-ray is replacing the DVD formatting. Moreover, he even thinks that Blu-rays “current preeminence should also be short-lived” (Hoppenstand, 370).
The next theory he presents is that one constant in popular culture will outlive the “digital onslaught”. The book is one of the artifacts of mass produced entertainment that will always be a part of contemporary popular culture. He actually refers to it as “the alpha and omega of popular culture” (Hoppenstand, 370). He describes the book as being the oldest, “most durable”, “low-tech” format that is used today. “When all other popular culture entertainment will be little zeros”, the book “will continue to be published and enjoyed for many years to come” (Hoppenstand, 370). He believes that people enjoy holding a book more than reading them digitally, which is why it will “survive the digital onslaught”. (Hoppenstand, 370)
This article is rather powerful. Hoppenstand portrays a lot of thought-provoking ideas. He started the article with “there is no constant” which really stood out to me. He goes on to say that “popular culture is entirely mutable”, “ever-changing, always in motion, never static (Hoppenstand, 369). I liked how he compared the progression of video formatting to the formatting of musical recordings. For example, musical recording has advanced through a number of stages. It has progressed from vinyl records to the present-day digital downloading. Video formatting went from Beta videotape to the newly introduced Blu-ray. He even compared these various formats to other media such as books. Although video and musical formatting is rapidly changing, books are basically staying the same. Amazon does offer a “wireless reading device, the Kindle”, but being able to hold the book will resist the use of the technology (Hoppenstand, 370).
I like how he goes from the complexity in life to the simple and illustrates how attractive and resilient the simple, in this case “the book,” can be. Even though times are changing and according to Hoppenstand “there is no constant”, we can always depend on one thing not changing, the way we read our books.

Assignment 4-1

Over the years more and more people have become reliant on GPS systems. Most people I know either own a magellan, a Tom Tom, or have a GPS built into their phone. GPS systems first came out in 1995, and now they are a "must have". They can tell you where you are, what time it is, and the velocity you are going. GPS systems have become widely used for directions. It is so simple; just type in a beginning and ending address. Then the GPS takes over. It speaks and lets you know what to do. This is a lot different from Mapquest because Mapquest only offers written directions. The GPS gives you the directions, lets you know how far you are from each turn, and lets you know when to turn. It makes me wonder what they'll come out with next.

Assignment 3-1

Most people love the iPhone. It not only serves your cellular need, but it also does the tasks of a computer. Another cool thing it offers is a touch-screen. As of today though, it has a new competition, the Pre, which goes on sale for $200 (after a mail-in rebate). Palm Inc. came up with a phone operating system, called webOS, which is more powerful, more user-friendly, and able to keep multiple applications open at once. You can flip between screens as much as you like and not lose the information on each. This is better than the iPhone because you do not have to go back to the main menu every time you want to change applications. Another cool feature the Pre offers is that it automatically pulls your friends’ photos from the internet and attaches them to your contacts list.
There are a few disadvantages of the Pre. First it is smaller than the iPhone so the buttons on the touch screen are harder to hit. Also, as of right now if your Google instant-messaging account is connected to your AOL instant-messaging account then the battery life isn’t very long. But, they are In the process of fixing the bug. The pictures captured on the phone are only 3-megapixel. It is better than most phone cameras but does not have the best resolution.
In response to this new phone, Apple is expected to announce an upgraded iPhone. It won’t be able to do everything the Pre can but it will have other features. I think this is a great for phone technology and hopefully it’ll change the way we talk for now on.

Assignment 2-1

Growing up we went from an Atari, to a Nintendo, to a Sega, and then to a play station. Those video game systems are far different from the systems we have today. The Playstation3 and the Xbox 360 offer high definition graphics, more memory, and access to the internet. The games look more realistic, and the games are more challenging. It is convenient to have the ability to go online with your game system as well. Honestly, that’s the only internet you need. With what we have now, it only leaves you to wonder what we’ll have next.

Assignment 2-2

Over the years I have discovered that some icons change and others are long-lived. For example, Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King, Jr. will always be icons for the civil rights movement in the United States. In sports, the icons change as newer talented players become recognized for their achievements and start breaking previous records. For example, Dan Marino use to be considered one of the best quarterbacks to play, but now Peyton Manning and Tom Brady are in the limelight. Bill gates, Britney Spears, and Lebron James are 3 contempory icons I chose to discuss.

Britney Spears became a pop icon soon after she released her first cd. She's gorgeous, has an athletic body, and has a beautiful voice. She's maintained her popularity by reaching out to the incoming younger generations. Lebron James became a basketball icon when his talent became evident as he started dominating the court. Now he has his own line of shoes and his jersey is worn by many. Bill Gates became a business icon after he created Microsoft, which made him a millionaire and the richest person in the United States. His creation aided the revolution of personal computers.

These 3 people have achieved a lot for their young ages, which gives hope to others. They were born just as normal as the rest of us and lived a normal life. They give credence to the American myth; we can do whatever we put our minds to.

Assignment 1-4

Beginning June 12, 2009 we are switching from analog television to digital television. For some, buying a set-top converter box will be necessary in order to receive and convert broadcast DTV signals into the format of the current T.V. in use. This shouldn’t be a big problem for everyone though because most people already have a DTV receiver. It’s common in most households these days to have a newer T.V. and some kind of cable or satellite which means they are already viewing digital T.V.
I think this transition fits perfectly in our technology age. Digital broadcasting can carry a lot more information than what is currently possible with analog broadcasting, and that is what we want. Remember when we switched from floppy disks to cds? Then from cds to flash drives? That was because we crave to have more space, more information. Same thing happened when we switched from cassette tapes to compact discs; we wanted more songs available on one thing.
Digital T.V. has a clearer picture and better sound quality than analog T.V. because of the pictures transmission in higher resolution. Not only does it offer us multicasting and interactive services, but it also frees up some parts of the broadcast spectrum for public safety communications and new wireless services. Basically, it is time for us to make this change which will transform our viewing of television now.