Bing vs. Google

Google has been the standard search engine for many Internet users in the past. But with technology changing, they may have now met its match.

Bing is a new search engine created by Microsoft and is marketing itself as a website that is not only a search engine, but the first ever decision engine. What is interesting is that Bing advertises their site with other media besides the Internet. Bing has it's own commercial campaign. Bing's campaign is to help users avoid "search overload". Also on the site Bing states, " With 200 million Web sites (and counting) you need a search engine that can help you make sense of a world of information. Meet Bing".

So with the new site, those interested may ask; what is so great about Bing? While Google offers about the same features and services, Bing is targeting the users who need information fast, without having to search through a bunch of nonsense. And in this technologically addicted society, that is about everyone now days.

I can see Bing becoming the new hot search engine, especially for those new tech savvy users. Bing will have to try hard to get those hard core Google users to switch. But with Bing using different media to reach users, it may make the switch easier.

Uses and Gratifications theory: Why people use social networking Sites.

In class we had a discussion why people used social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace. Some reasons are because people like to feel connected to others, and social networking sites help people do that. From the article " Explaining why young adults use MySpace and Facebook through the Uses and Gratifications theory", researchers found five themes. They found that people use social networking sites to have efficient communication, convenient communication, curiosity about others, popularity, and relationship formation and reinforcement.

I feel that the most important themes here are convenient communication and popularity. Many people, especially young adults, use social networking sites to stay in touch with friends they may not get to see as often. For me, it allows me to stay connected with old high school friends quickly and easily. Social networking sites let people communicate at a rate that they desire. They do not have to respond to questions right away, they can wait days later to reply. The "no pressure" communication is an attractive feature for social network sites.

Popularity is also important to many young adults. Many people try to gain as many friends as they can so they will feel good about themselves and feel popular. When in reality, most of their "friends" are not even their friends at all. I think that those who add everyone they come in contact with feel the personal need to be popular. In real life they may not have many friends, but on-line they may have hundreds or thousands. This type of situation is not all that common among young adults now. People are still friends with a lot of people they may not know, but the number has dropped. People believe that those who add a lot of people they do not know, are "fake".

Social networking sites are an interesting new technology. They allow for people to interact and communicate with each other in many different ways. They can chat live, message one another, look at friends pictures and comment on them. These types of sites are being used more often then not and are becoming a large part of our society today.

New Gadget for the Holidays

Thinking about what are the new hi-tech gifts for this season? IPOD nano, MAC laptop, PS3? How about the Kindle DX? The Kindle DX is a wireless reading device that holds up to 3,500 books, periodicals, and documents, it should be a book lovers dream. For a little less than $500.00, you get the benefits of downloading books anytime anywhere, no monthly fees, no annual contracts, and no hunting for Wi-Fi hotspots. It also has a 9.7 in. e-link screen that reads like real paper and many more cool features. If the Kindle DX is too spendy, the Kindle is a little smaller, holds fewer documents and is priced at $259.00.

With the new technology of on-line books, are paper books going to be obsolete? Our society is continually moving forward, especially in the fields of technology. Although the Kindle is new and attractive to the reader who does not have space to have their own library, I don't see it becoming a huge hit, for at least for right now its not. Books are still being published and those "old fashioned" readers still love having the feeling of holding a book and turning the pages. With the Kindle, this feeling is taken away. I also think the price is a little steep for the product.If the price was lower, I could see more of these being bought as gifts for the holidays. There are cheaper versions of this product, (i.e. Sony Digital Reader, Barnes & Nobel Nook ebook reader) but they may not have as many features as the Kindle. One thing is the same for all the ebooks, technology will get better and faster and new products will be made. New products that will be better than what is developed now. Technology is good cause it is always changing, but it is bad too. It is bad for those who spent $500.00 on the Kindle and then find out there is a better faster version created a few months after. So when you are shopping for your holiday gift this year, think about what gadgets are really worth the price.

High School Musical goes to China

If you thought High school musical couldn't get any bigger, you are mistaken. High School Musical is going overseas to China. It only seems natural with all the successful products, networks, and theme parks Disney has to think, whats next?

''High School Musical'' started out as a TV movie that launched in the U.S. in January 2006 but went on to become a big hit internationally, airing in more than 30 languages in some 100 countries and turning Zac Efron into a household name, according to Disney. Its sequel, also a TV movie, was also a success. Disney then released the third installment in movie theaters in October 2008, with ''High School Musical 3: Senior Year'' grossing $250 million worldwide"

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The new film will feature a new cast, shot in Shanghai and is set to be released summer of 2010.
Not only will the movie be released, but I am sure Disney has many plans to produce soundtracks for the movie and sell retail merchandise to promote the film. Disney is a very large media conglomerate which owns many forms of media. Disney has their own television networks, record studios, radio stations, theme parks, retail stores. They have the ability to market their new films to large audiences. By going to China, Disney is building onto their "Media Empire".

A Dangerous Distraction

A year ago my friends seventeen year old sister was driving down the highway and texting. This spring she is graduating but because she is in a wheel chair, she won't be able to walk across the stage to receive her diploma.

Only now have people been looking in to the dangers of driving while using a cell phone. With the advancement of new technology, cell phones are not only phones, they are a distraction. Cell phone distraction causes 2,600 deaths and 330,000 injuries in the United States every year, according to the journal's publisher, the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society.

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This has created a major cause for concern. That is why many states have passed new laws enforcing no cell phone use while driving. Car companies have also caught on." In 2008, 918,000 hands-free systems were installed in cars, according to the Consumer Electronics Association. By the end of 2009, the industry group estimates, that figure will climb to 1.6 million systems"

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And for those who don't want to take any chances. There is a newer option for safe driving. A new call-blocking system. There are different companies like ZoomSafe, Aegis Mobility and odbEdge that offer this service. What this system does is it places restrictions of cell phones based on the phone's GPS signals to determine if someone is at driving speeds. The phone will not work until that person stops the car. I think this ne w system is good for those who really need to separate themselves from others while driving. Right now this system is an option and not mandatory. However, I could see this system being implemented very soon if the number of cell phone related accidents do not decrease.