Spring Break

    I was very excited for Spring Break, our biggest break from school besides summer. On the day of Easter, my fifty day lent  ended, so I had the ability to eat meat again. My friends and I, after church, planned to see Furious 7 and hang out. I enjoyed spending time with my friends and the movie greatly. After the movie, I discussed with my friends how good the movie was and things the creators could have done to make it better.
     After the movies, the next day, my sister and I went to the Flaming Grill, a pretty good buffet. I was able to eat foods that I have not tasted in a long time. When we were leaving, I saw Kimberly and her family enter, which I found was coincidental. Other than that, I did not do many other interesting things. I spent the rest of my days doing my homework and studying for SAT.

Social Media Advice for the Creative

Social Media Advice for the Creative

     This article contains information that is necessary for people who enjoy posting comment on different platforms of social media which include Facebook, Twitter and many others. The article is comprised of advice and tips from people who have experience in posting on social media. Their advice can be broken up to 10 different parts. First, think of a sentence that best defines you and use that as your trademark when making your profiles. Interaction is very key for making successful posts. Privacy settings should be checked every day as social media sites change very often. It is not correct to right offensive posts about other people all the time. Profanity should be avoided as it is not good and cannot serve as development. It is recommended to be careful about what you type, as employees and job suppliers often check social medias. It is suggested to use your social media to promote good morals. The panelists suggest that social media posts should not be targeted on hateful people but rather handle their hatred with a positive attitude.  Social media does not need to be used to gain friends as they might end up being true. Finally, the panelists felt that selfies should not exist anymore.  I feel that all these methods will lead to a better social life. Personally, I do not care for social media so I did not put my full energy in comprehending these tips. However for those who are interested in the subject of social media, these tips should be followed. 

     

Technology Article 4/2/15

11 things you need to know about Microsoft's new Surface 3

Microsoft has unveiled the Surface 3, a thinner, smaller, and less expensive version of its suddenly successful Surface Pro 3 PC-tablet.
The Surface fills a gadget gap between laptops and tablets. Today's tablets are great for portability, reading and watching video, but they're not ideal for doing work. Laptops are designed for getting stuff done, but you wouldn't want to read a book on them. The Surface is a laptop that looks and acts like a tablet.
But the Surface Pro 3 costs $799, and that's without a keyboard. Throw in a keyboard and Bluetooth pen, and you're looking at a machine that costs close to $1,000.
With the Surface 3, Microsoft (MSFT, Tech30) set out to make a similar tablet priced more attractively for students, parents and on-the-go professionals.
Here's what you need to know about the new Surface 3:

1. It costs $499.
That's a pretty good price for a PC that comes with 2 GB of RAM and 64 GB of storage. But that doesn't include the $129 keyboard (unless you already happen to have a Surface keyboard lying around, your total price is: $628).
"Surface Pro 3 is a product people know and love," said Panos Panay, head of Microsoft's Surface team, in an exclusive interview with CNNMoney. "When we were bringing [the Surface 3] to life, it was about, 'How do we give all that to folks but bring it to more people?'"
A higher-end Surface 3 is available for $599, giving you twice the RAM and storage. You can also add 4G-LTE wireless connectivity for $100 extra.
The Surface 3 is currently available for pre-order, and it will go on sale May 5.
surface 3 499


2. The keyboards are super-bright.
True to Microsoft's target student audience, the keyboards come in some bright, trendy colors aimed at a younger generation. They come in a bright tomato red, a darker burgundy, light blue, and purple. Those come in addition to the slate gray and dark blue that professionals like.
surface 3 keyboards

3. It weighs more than an iPad Air but less than the new MacBook.
The Surface 3 weighs 1.4 pounds. Even with the type cover, the new Surface weighs less than two pounds.
It's also super thin: just 0.34 inches, only slightly thicker than an iPad Air.
surface 3 weight

4. It runs "full" Windows 8.1, and it's upgradable to Windows 10.
Unlike previous non-"pro" versions of the Surface, the Surface 3 runs a full version of Windows, meaning it can run all the software that you're accustomed to running on a PC.
"It has to run everything -- even if it's iTunes or Chrome," said Panay. "You'll feel good because you left nothing on the table when you bought this product."
surface 3 windows



5. It has a processor designed for mobile devices.
The original Surface RT and Surface 2 ran on smartphone processors made by Nvidia (NVDA, Tech30). That made them slightly sluggish, but more importantly unable to run full Windows.
The Surface 3 runs an Intel (INTC, Tech30) chip designed for high-end tablets called the Atom x7. The advantages to the switch are twofold: full Windows (see No. 3) and a mix of power and battery efficiency that you'd expect from a mobile processor.
surface 3 processor

6. It has a 10.8-inch screen.
Similar to the Surface Pro 3 (but unlike other previous versions of the Surface), the Surface 3's screen has a 3:2 aspect ratio. That makes it a little less ideal for watching HD video but way better for reading and writing when you hold it vertically.
surface 3 screen

7. It uses the same plug that charges your smartphone (well...unless you have an iPhone).
The Surface 3 forgoes the magnetic charger that other Surfaces sported in favor of a micro-USB port that every non-Apple mobile device uses for charging.
Panay said micro-USB was of customers' most sought-after features.
surface 3 port

8. It has a kickstand that clicks into three different positions.
The Surface's kickstand is one of its most standout features, and it gets better in each version. The Surface 3 expands the number of positions to three: desk, lap and couch.
It's not quite as useful as the Surface Pro 3's pick-any-angle "continuous hinge," but it's more versatile than the one or two positions you got from previous Surfaces.
surface 3 kickstand

9. It has a pen.
The Surface Pen works on both Surface Pro 3 and the Surface 3. It has a nice weight and thickness to it, and though you can't store it in the device, the tradeoff is that it's far more useful than a stylus.
The pen can be used to write, capture a screen shot, highlight text and launch One Note among other tasks.
surface 3 pen



10. It has two HD cameras.
The 8-megapixel rear camera and the 3.5 mexapixel front camera are both capable of shooting 1080p HD video.
surface 3 camera

11. Its battery lasts 10 hours.
Battery life is tricky to measure, but Microsoft says the Surface's battery should be able to get you through a day of normal use. Microsoft claims the battery is large enough to let you watch 10 hours of video on a single charge.

Technology Article 3/27

An iPhone for people who hate Apple

Galaxy S6 and iPhone 6 Similarities: curved aluminum edges

                                                            the placement of the volume and on/off buttons

                                                           the bumped-out rear camera

                                                           fingerprint-sensor home button

Galaxy S6-High-end Gorilla Glass

                  Made of Metal

                  additional storage, a removable battery and waterproofing

                 Made to be counterpart iPhone6

Speed. The Galaxy S6 is noticeably fast, which is remarkable during an era when even the cheapest of cheap smartphones feels like a racehorse. There are no hiccups or jitters when you swipe through screens and open up apps.

While most phones feel like they pause to think for a split second every so often before executing your commands, the Galaxy S6 is so fast that feels like it's anticipating your taps and swipes before you make them. It's like an extension of your fingers.

Display. The screen is also jaw-dropping. It's bright, the colors are brilliant, the viewing angles are tremendous. It feels like a 4K ultra-high-definition TV in your hands -- because it kind of is. Its resolution is four-times more pixel-dense than standard HD displays.

Camera. The cameras are awesome. The Galaxy S6's 16-megapixel rear camera is among the best on any smartphone, and the 5-megapixel front camera might be the best selfie camera on the market.

The camera's shutter speed is super-fast, which means you can take rapid-fire photos without any noticeable lag. Also increasing the speed of phototaking on the Galaxy S6 is a new feature that lets you double-click the home button to launch the camera in a pinch -- even when the phone is locked or the screen is turned off. When taking a selfie, you can tap a sensor on the back of the camera, which lets you hold the camera in a more stable position.

The phone's thinness means the camera bumps out a bit -- more noticeably than on the iPhone 6. But unlike the iPhone's off-to-the-side camera, which causes Apple's smartphone to shake a bit when it's resting on the table, Samsung positioned its camera in the center, giving it a bit more stability when lying on its back.

Other features. The fingerprint reader is super fast and only requires a touch to unlock your phone (you used to have to swipe your finger).

The turbo charger is exceedingly fast -- plugging your Galaxy S6 in for 10 minutes gives you four hours of battery life.

You'll also get a minimum of 32 GB of storage on the Galaxy S6, which is double that of most smartphones. And you'll get wireless charging and an IR blaster, for those of who hate plugging in their phone and like using it as a universal remote.

Software. Being "pure Samsung" is not always a good thing.

Samsung's notoriously horrible software got an upgrade for the Galaxy S6 -- namely that there's less of it. Samsung claims that it cut down on its add-on software by 40% for the Galaxy S6, and the phone does let Google's excellent Android Lollipop software shine a bit more than previous Galaxies.

Yet the Galaxy S6's "TouchWiz" interface is still a mess of confusing, unnecessary features and app add-ons. The cartoonish icons and menus from Galaxies past remain, and they still look like they were designed in the flip-phone era. And there's still the un-eraseable bloatware, including Samsung's Milk music apps and and handful of Microsoft (MSFT, Tech30) apps.

Should you buy it? If you're not an iPhone person but want the quality and attention to detail that Apple gives its smartphones, then the Galaxy S6 is worth consideration. Its ridiculous add-on software really gets in the way at times, which is a shame because Samsung doesn't need crazy software features for its phone to stand out in a crowd.

Technology Article 3/17

Is Your Teen Using Apps to Keep Secrets

• Can parents fully put their trust in their children anymore
• Studies show that sexting performed by teenagers is more common than often suggested
• However, sexters are normally not considered the typical stereotypes that take drugs or excessively drink or smoke.  
• More than half the undergraduate students who took part in an anonymous online survey said they sent sexually suggestive texts when they were teenagers, according to the study by Drexel University, which was published last year by the Journal of Sexuality Research and Social Policy.
• Nearly 30% said they included photos in their sexts, and an astonishing 61% did not know that sending nude photos via text could be considered child pornography.
• Another study, this one by the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, found that while students who admitted sexting were 32% more likely to report having sex the next year, sexting by teenagers was not linked to risky sexual behavior over time.
• It is interesting in the fact that it seems as though in certain areas that sexting has been considered normal to some
• However, it is common in many people suffering because of bullying or are depressed greatly
• Parents state that they are checking their children's phone but cannot seem to find it. Unfortunately this is due to the fact of Snapchat, Cyber Dust, VaporChat and others allow users to send messages that disappear on both the sender and recipient's phones after a certain period of time. 
• Unfortunately young adults such as students do not know that sexting is considered a felony and can be considered child pornography.
• It is not fully the faulting of the parent if they do not tell the consequences but really the fact that young adults are not interested in listening to repercussions
• The only solution it seems is to have a full discussion of the negative effects of sexting and if necessary educators on the specified subject to come and also explain the negativity of sexting

Article Link

Technology Article 3/13

13 things to know about the Apple Watch

    Simply put, this article summarizes information given to us by CEO Tom Cook regarding the Apple Watch that is coming.

The Apple Watch will go on sale online and by reservation in Apple stores on April 24. Pre-orders begin April 10.

The Watch will be available to customers in nine markets, including the U.S. The others are Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan and the United Kingdom.

The cheapest Apple Watch -- the 38mm sport model -- will cost $349, as expected. The 42mm (which is the height from top to bottom of the watch) will cost $399. The most expensive version of the Apple Watch, called the Apple Watch Edition, will start at $10,000 and cost as much as $17,000.

On a full charge, the Apple Watch battery should last up to 18 hours. This is critical, since the Apple Watch needs to be continuously connected to an iPhone in order to work, which can be a big battery drain.

The Apple Watch will be available in three models: The Apple Watch Sport, the Apple Watch and the Apple Watch Edition.

The watches are made from anodized aluminum (Apple Watch Sport), stainless steel (Apple Watch) and 18-karat gold (Apple Watch Edition). The Apple Watch and Apple Watch Edition screens will be crafted from sapphire crystal, the same material used in luxury watches. The Apple Watch Sport will feature an Ion-X glass display.

There are only two buttons on the watch.

Each model will come in two sizes: a 38mm, or 1.5 inch (height), and 42 mm or 1.7 inch.

The Apple Watch needs an iPhone to connect to the Internet. And not just any iPhone -- the oldest iPhone it will connect to is the iPhone 5, and it has to be running iOS 8.2 software, which is available for download as of Monday. It connects to the iPhone via Bluetooth.  

Each Apple Watch model will be available in two colors: Stainless steel and black stainless steel for the Apple Watch; silver aluminum and gray aluminum for the Apple Watch Sport; and 18-karat yellow gold and 18-karat rose gold for the Apple Watch Edition. 

There are six types of wristbands: 1) a metal band with a traditional clasp 2) a rubber sport band 3) a magnetic leather band 4) a leather band with a classic buckle 5) a leather band with a modern buckle and 6) a flexible metal magnetic band. 

It will "tap" you when you have notifications. You can also tap it back, sending other Watch owners taps that can emulate a sender's heartbeat.

 Article Link

Technology Article 3/6/15

Laser Procedure Can Turn Brown Eyes Blue

     From many famous actors and actresses, we have seen that a very popular eye color tends to be blue. Blue is send to represent a sign of attractiveness. Many studies have shown that people with blue eyes tend to stand out more in a crowd then people of different eye colors. In the past. the only way to change the appearance of your eye color was using different color eye contacts. Now there is a medical procedure that allows to change people with brown eyes to the color of blue. Pioneered by Stroma Medical, the laser procedure works by eliminating the brown melanin that's present in the anterior layers of the iris. "The fundamental principle is that under every brown eye is a blue eye," Dr Gregg Homer told CNN, adding that there is no actual blue pigmentation in the eye. "The only difference between a brown eye and a blue eye is this very thin layer of pigment on the surface." "If you take that pigment away, then the light can enter the stroma -- the little fibers that look like bicycle spokes in a light eye - and when the light scatters it only reflects back the shortest wavelengths and that's the blue end of the spectrum."This  effect is similar to showing why are sky is blue. According to the medical board, this form of surgery is said to be safe as they use low intesnity lasers which are not very harmful. The procedure is said that it will cost $5,000. 

Article Link