phones

How thin can a phone get before people are going to tell product developers stop with this? I would hope before nanotechnology hits the phone market a lot and we see phones that can fit into a credit card slot in the wallet. Phones are so sophisticated now a days that they aren’t even phones. The actual phone part of it is probably just ten percent, which is a big drop from what it used to be, about one hundred percent. Clearly consumers like the appeal of having everything, a phone, a calendar, internet, music, and even now, games on one device that is about as thin as a few sheets of paper. Is this what the world has come to be? A world that loves gadgets that have many functions? I say yes to both, because no longer does one see a tool that can do one task. No, now this object has to be able to do one thing and then another and another. I’m not saying that I disagree with this, I really enjoy this fact about most of what we consider to be normal and every day and take for granted. I think that people should start to worry about creating much more sturdy casings for the phone because what is to happen if you drop your phone on the ground or decide to place it on your back pocket. Crack goes the phone and you are now out a couple hundred dollars and not to mention you have no phone. I think that the current size of phones are perfect and they don’t have to make it smaller, rather just add more into the current size while at the same time make them stronger than before because there are something to be desired. One day I just hope that I can understand what really goes on in technology that keeps getting smaller, faster, and better than before. Clearly there is a lot that happens, and I really would like to understand how such a small object can perform tasks that only 30 years ago a larger super computer that filled a whole room took to perform.

time respect

Something I find interesting is how people in college, doesn’t matter what year they are, will still be late to class and not care about it. High school is suppose to have thought them otherwise, but clearly something was left out. Why is it that people decide that it’s ok to stay up and party and go to class at least 30 minutes late after class started? When in high school, classes tend to be very close to one another, about a few minutes apart for walking distance. Are students finding that teachers and professors alike are lenient enough to just allow this to happen? I for one do not like this at all. This shows disrespect to the teacher who is trying to have a class. I understand that sometimes one will be late because of reasons, but just because you wake up late, decided to talk with your friend in the hall, or just left your room when the class starts is just not a good habit. I always try my best to get to class before it starts, but every now and then I find myself late for class and I don’t feel any good for doing that. Even then, at the most I’m late for about 5 minutes, not 30.
In college I understand that it’s the new feeling of being on your own, at least for the first semester, but then you find yourself deep in homework, behind in your classes, and your professors don’t necessarily like you for the way you act. Why do people decide, “Oh the teacher likes me so it’s ok if I’m late”. No, this is just wrong; the professor will not enjoy your presence if this is to happen. This big gap that is supposed to be between senior year of high school and freshman year of college has disappeared. There is no gap, just the two ends now meeting to be one straight line that has created students that aren’t as time oriented as before. All this talk of college will be tougher, while true, at some levels is the same as high school, until you decide that college is for you and you advance to higher level classes and then decide you’re in the wrong major.
In the past I believe that college was college. Those that were serious about learning and getting the best job went there to get the education. Has this changed? Well not really. People are still going there to learn more about a topic that they enjoy, but does anyone really know what they want anymore? I don’t think so because there are so many people that keep flip flopping their preferred majors. This wasted time causes more money lost and therefore more wasted time. Is this a result of high school education that is glamorizing some majors over others, don’t forget the media though, they glamorize a lot too, but do students really know what they are getting into? I think that high schools need to start teaching students more about what each type of major is like, at least in a broad way that would inform the student much better than the knowledge that they have now. For example, I didn’t feel that I knew much about my major when I first chose it. It really took my English course for me to more fully understand exactly what I was doing even though no other course really told me anything. This to me is strange how English class taught me what computer engineering was because it was the only class that forced me to do a project that for me to do a good enough jobs, I had to learn about this major for college. I think that a small course should be dedicated to help students pick a major that could be added to their senior year. Whatever a solution, something should be done because people tend to pick their classes by how well one form of media glamorizes it, not by what it can do for them because it is at their strength.

computers - future top consoles?

How will video games be in the next, let’s say twenty years? Well if one can easily see the advancement of this popular media and entertainment form. Well it took a while after the first computers for the first video games to appear on the market and then, the games weren’t all that technically difficult. While they were fun and amazing because they were the first of their kind, the level of game play today easily makes the older style inferior. While this may be true, the new ones are really just a build off the old ones. Every company wanted to do the next big update to the video game as the entertainment form and it is now one of the top markets, and clearly it is owned by consoles and some PC/Mac games.
In the past it was mostly just the controller and one joystick with very few buttons, now there are many times more buttons with joysticks that are also buttons and even motion vibration and sensitivities. Is it the attempt at creating a real life experience that drives people to play video games? That might be the case because all the games out there try to show that they have the most realistic graphics and game play. Though, who really has the edge in today’s market? Every company is creating a consol or a graphics card that can do the next big thing, while at the same time game developers are creating games that require so much computing that it is mind boggling. My belief is that the best console is the computer itself, not one of the stand-alone that can be left next to the TV or monitor. Why is this? Well because a computer can be customized, whereas a console cannot. I personally have not built a custom computer, but that will come with time. The newest graphic cards can do things that even the top of the line console can’t. While the console itself might be equal to this new card, the computer can always be one step ahead because every few months the graphics card you have becomes obsolete. This is what computer hardware developers do; they always advance while most consoles are left behind except for a few minor tweaks here or there. The only thing I wish is that game developers would also create games more often for the computer because it too can play them, not just the consoles. I understand it is a marketing idea, but there are people who have only the computer because it is what they can get and it does everything else that a console cannot such as go online (although consoles have started getting closer to also having this options).
In the next twenty years or so, I believe that the consoles will be able to be more similar to that of a normal desktop. Although they are meant to just have a gaming use, all these little features that are being added are really just making it another computer. So isn’t this all going in a circle? I believe so because at first this started as just a computer and it spawned the video game console, but now the console is trying to act like the computer itself. I don’t think this is by accident. I believe that this is the result of the console. Its prime option wasn’t as appealing to keep people hooked onto just one system. The computer is the only system, platform, and entertainment device that can do everything. All they need to do is allowing the customization of computer with console type configurations and parts because the consoles do have some of the best components around.
As for the first question, I believe that the games will be a lot more life-like than before. More like the way that the motion sensitive style is starting to become more popular. Gone are the days of an object to hold to control the game, now it is going to be you, you will be the controller of the game.

future ambitions

Well there are many things of which I could with my choice of major of Computer Engineering. The only problem right now is that I don’t know too much about the field. I’m still learning and hope to get a better grip of what this is because I’ve heard there is a lot of promise in the growth of this field. From the research I had to do for those little class projects in school, it has shown that there is going to be a large demand for it in the coming years and I hope that this means the best in terms of job opportunities. Now what could I possibly go into in order to make a better life for myself? Well there are many things and it goes from working in a desk to research. Programming, while I do sort of like it as a thing to possibly go into, I know that I’d probably get bored of it. Just sitting in front of computer screen trying to figure out why some line of code doesn’t work just isn’t for me. I will be willing to do it in an on and off type of work style, such as if needed for back up, but I’d rather work on a more combination type. Combination can include that of microprocessors and supercomputers, but I am still interested at the architecture of the microprocessor. I have always been amazed how they are able to place these small parts into such a small area and make everything work perfectly together. This is something that I hope to get into because of that.
One other option, all though it is research still and would require me to take more advanced physics (which I’m all ok with) is quantum computers. This is a field that I believe has a lot of potential so it could be in my best interests to get involved in this. The only problem is my understanding of quantum and the computer world has a basis (such as the machine language) is very limited. I am vaguely familiar with the principles and rules, but I don’t know much more that I can do on my own. I always become interested in the next big thing that occurs in the field of quantum computing.
As for a minor, I’m thinking math because that’s something that I have enjoyed and done well at since an early age. As I have shown in my past blog post, I did consider myself as a nerd because I have been good at the math and science fields. Well I still do and math and science go hand in hand. Maybe that’s why I really enjoy quantum as a field of study, let alone the computers using the quantum principles.
Could all of this change in the matter of a day. I still do enjoy the computer engineering world but who is to say that I will still have the goal of quantum computers. It all depends on what opportunities are present. Currently, there are no limits and I am able to think and try whatever comes to mind. Our current state of technology is developing at such a tremendous pace that there is no point to just assume that what is out now is what will be the top thing for a long time. New discoveries are made left and right. All one can hope is to be able to stay with the trend and try to understand just what is going on. There are so many things that are happening in this world at once and the idea you might have thought of might already be in motion because someone else already thought of it. As much as I enjoy reading (which is sarcasm by the way), even I will find reading scientific journals interesting, I’m not sure why but it may be my nerdy self. Who knows, maybe I could come up with something that could be published in one of those. One can only dream.

Response to Michael's response to Violence

In response to Michael’s response post about violence I would have to say that I agree that we need to have diplomacy first. It is the first step to peace in my mind. Having and outright war right from the start isn’t the best idea. Who knows just how many people could have been saved if the enemies decided to talk things over first. Sure they may not like each other, but isn’t there any thought about the people of the land that could be hurt because of violence? I think that there isn’t enough consideration besides someone’s ego. War/violence is about proving one’s ego over another. For that I don’t believe that people give enough consideration for their people, especially leaders who start the wars. Those that later decide to join are different because they do look at the variables much more, but at least it more consideration (in my mind) than the leaders of the group that started the war/violence.

In this world there will never be a true balance. It is impossible and therefore there will always be war. Like Michael had said, there will always be violence everywhere but diplomacy should always be the first thing to happen before violence. Who knows, there might be something both agree upon to live in unison.

Response to Scott's Post

In response to Scott’s blog, I agree with his way of explaining just how freshmen tend to have fun. Everyone talks about how that last party was, how they hope to go to another again, or how they can’t remember what happened last night. Freshmen are also trying to do so much with their first year of college and it seems that they are moving too fast. When listing all the different things freshmen do that help them get into the college scene, there is one thing Scott does leave out. For the majority of college freshmen want to get into the craziest party and meet the best people, but there are those who do focus on school. If high school has taught us something it is that we need understand our consequences. I feel that some freshmen have not learned their lesson. They believe that they can hand in homework late, slack off, be late to class because they can accumulate many more tardies than they think, and party all night (that’s what college is right?). Then the students find themselves in trouble with low grades, low academic performance, and if they don’t change could be kicked from the school and all the money lost. What can the university ultimately do to help the students make the better choices? Well I believe there isn’t much. At this point in their life (when they are entering the university level) all that the students have learned in elementary, middle and high school and of course their parents will be revealed in the person they are. There isn’t much that can change of a person and if one person has these bad habits for the way that they conduct their daily routines and work habits, then it might be too late. I still see the university offering ways to help people become better planned and informed on what can happen if they don’t follow the minimum credits and GPA but I think that these classes aren’t as necessary. By now the student should have learned how to organize their time. Have all those four years in high school just been winged the whole time? If so, how did the university accept them? Clearly the students must have some desire to learn because they are in the next level of education. With this desire, I don’t see it too relevant for the university to be spending money to try to teach these kids what they should have learned in school or at home.
This is why I believe that although this scenario is for a few students from the whole, the incoming freshmen need to pace themselves. They are getting ahead of the game and trying to do way too much for just their first year. Pretty soon they might find that the school is boring because they have spent all their time partying and there is a loss of fun at the university, then they cause trouble because there isn’t anything else to do in their minds. If they pace the parties, focus on school, join a few clubs, they can ultimately have more fun and a better experience for their years at the university.
To answer a question Scott asked, “Should the university decide to offer more activities?” well I believe the answer is yes. If the university decided to do that, even with a little cost or like Scott mentioned using the ID card, then yes this might be a good idea. The students are going out of the grounds to waste money as it is, so why not do it at the university and hope to turn all these fun activities into more fund raising type of events. The best time to hold such events is obviously when most of the university students would be going off campus for their parties, late night.
Finally, I have come to agree with Scott that the university students are partying too much off campus and are trying to do too much in their first year. I just wanted to add that if the students were to pace themselves then things might be a lot better for them. In the topic of school activities, I say yes to add more as fundraisers because they to attribute to a decrease in students leaving the campus and the university in turn could be making more money, if these activities are possible to be held.

FML, MLIA, MLIG response to Garrett's post

In response to Garrett's post about (FML), (MLIA), and (MLIG) I will say that I do completely agree with what he is saying. I know of people who go to these websites and try to make fun of others, which is why I do slightly agree that we need to not be reading these FML things. Why would someone post something that is so embarrassing to their lives I will never know.
The websites like MLIA and MLIG are aimed to not make as much fun of one’s life but to “show off” one’s life to the world. We need to understand that doing this isn’t going to help your life any more. It might hurt someone’s self esteem because then they think that their life is not worth living. If we could remove something like this, then we might be able to decrease these low self esteem issues we see in schools all the time.
These websites are rather pointless in their aid to normal life. If people stopped reading these, then people would start to understand the real meaning in their own lives, not by reading how bad someone else is or how amazing another person's life may be. We as a person need to learn for ourselves how to live our life and how to enjoy it. Websites like these do not help us at all and we need to understand that. This is why I agree with Garrett on this topic. He is saying exactly what we need to learn.