Photoshop #3 - "Rooftop Rainbow View"

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Photoshop #2 - "Dreams Do Come True"

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Photoshop #1 -"Only Green"

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Google Maps Goes Indoors

          We all know we can turn to Google Maps to get a bird's eye view of just about anywhere on the planet, but now Google is taking things a step further. A new mapping system update which debuted Tuesday means people no longer only have access to view the rooftops of buildings - they actually have access to view what's inside them. According to an Associated Press release from November 29, 2011, which can be found on the Chicago Tribune's website, the new database contains floor plans for a number of malls, stores, airports, and transportation centers in the United States and Japan, including the Mall of America. 

          There are many limitations to the new system, including the fact that this feature is only available on Android smartphones and tablets, a market Google has much at stake in. The company has given no word on whether it plans to expand this service to Apple and other mobile devices, though it definitely does plan to expand the number of store and center listings available. It is possible that in the future, people will no longer look at posted maps in malls or stores to find where they are; they'll just pull out their phones. 

Google Music

          Many people use Google for its web, news, and image functions on a daily basis, but what about for downloading music? In that arena, Apple's iTunes tends to take the lead; however, after the official launch of "Google Music" this past Wednesday, the online music landscape may be be changing. 

          So, how is this program unique from all the other digital music services out there? According to an article written by Scott Steinberg for Rolling Stone magazine, it will be integrated into the Google+ social network, and will be available on Android cell phones, just as iTunes is available on the iPhone. It is unique because it allows cloud technology to be used for music storage, unlike iTunes, where music is generally stored on a mobile device or computer. The article also explains that Google Music plans to offer a free daily song, which goes a few steps beyond iTunes's free weekly song. Record labels such as EMI, Sony, and Universal have made deals with Google to be a part of this service, and extra content such as live concert recordings are also talked of being offered. Only time will tell whether Google Music will surpass iTunes as the next big thing, or if it will just be another outlet in a saturated market. 

Google Gives Back to Vets

Image from google.com

         In honor of this Veterans Day (which is being considered extraordinary because of the date being 11/11/11), Google's Doodle (the term for when the site incorporates its logo into a design on special occasions) is a picturesque painting-style image of a tree with a yellow ribbon representing the "L"  while the rest of the letters are wispy clouds in a blue sky. 

          An ABC news report today by Ned Potter identifies the artist of this watercolor as Google staff member Michael Dutton, whose dad is a Vietnam veteran. The report also explains that this painting is to raise awareness for a new project Google is working on to connect veterans with each other and their families after service. More information on the project can be found at http://www.googleforveterans.com/. Part of it will be a special section of the Google+ social network called "Vet Connect." This feature is highly anticipated by vets who are looking to gain contact with fellow comrades from their battle lines.

          I think Google's plan is a fantastic one. With all the ways people use the internet for bad or just superficial things, this is an example of how the internet can actually make a positive difference in people's lives. My fear is that older vets who may not have technology skills or equipment might be left out, but I would hope that Google would find ways to include them perhaps through local libraries. I see this idea as one that other companies may want to and should get involved in, in the future. It is important for us to stop and remember all those who have served for us, and Google is showing that even the simplest doodle can raise awareness and contemplation. 

STJ Women's Volleyball vs. Pittsburgh

          The St. John's Volleyball Team versed the Pittsburgh Panthers in Carnesecca Arena on Friday, November 4. The game was an intense one, as the set winning went back and forth, with St. John's losing the first, winning the second, losing the third, and winning the fourth. It was because of this that the game needed to go to a fifth set, which would be won by 15 points instead of the usual 25. Unfortunately, the Johnnies weren't able to pull off a win, but below is a video I took at the game of an exciting play. (You can even see Johnny Thunderbird dancing at one point!)

New York Magazine Price Increase

          With the financial state of newspapers and magazines becoming more precarious by the day, it's inevitable that prices of such publications are rising, and New York Magazine is the latest to make this price increase. As explained by Lucia Moses in an article on adweek.com, the new $5.99 price tag that will take effect with the December 26 issue is 20 percent higher than the current price, and double the 2007 price of $2.99. The magazine apparently decided to make this decision after testing higher prices on certain issues and observing that "sales remained steady." 

          Many see this move as just another sign of the times. The article explains that according to the Audit Bureau of Circulations, New York Magazine sales have experienced an exceptional drop in sales, down 21 percent in the first half of 2011. Experts blame this on the problem that has been plaguing basically all other publications - readers substituting a physical copy with the free content available on the website. New York Magazine hopes its price increase will help make up for some of these losses. 

Google Cable?

          When asking Americans what cable companies they use, popular answers include Time Warner, Verizon, Comcast, or DirecTV; now, Google, wants to get its name on this list. In an article found in today's edition of The Kansas City Star, Scott Canon expands on one published in the Wall Street Journal, stating that Google is exploring the idea of offering paid TV cable as well as internet, and maybe even phone service. The company has plans to test this idea out in Kansas City in early 2012. 

          There are still many things that are unclear about this plan, as it is in the early stages, and Google probably doesn't want to give away too much information before it is ready. It isn't certain what type of cables would be used to create this connection, although much faster speeds of data transmission are promised. The only word on price has been a statement by Google that it would be similar to other cable companies. 

          Experts are seeing this move as having great potential to redefine the Google company and to bring in high revenue. Although the Google TV platform that was released in 2010 has not received the greatest response, that platform is aimed toward internet TV. By entering the cable business on actual TV's, some say Google will gain standing as a leader in the entertainment industry, in addition to the internet industry. Many believe it will be successful in this area, because the advertising-based world is one that has become very natural to it, with all of the ways it has found to make a fortune off selling ads online. 

U.S. Government Seeks to 'Stop Online Piracy'

         This past Wednesday, a bill known as the 'Stop Online Piracy Act' was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives, in order to address the problem of pirated content being rampantly available on websites. According to an article by Gautham Nageshon on thehill.com, which was featured on iwantmendia.com and titled "House Members Unveil Stop Online Piracy Act," this bill would allow the U.S. Justice Department to obtain injunctions to prevent foreign websites from publishing this content. While most agree this is a good idea, there are other parts of the bill that cause skepticism, including the fact that the government would be able to patrol the internet and prevent companies such as advertising ones from doing business with these websites. Many see the government's regulation of the internet as overstepping its bounds, including internet industry giants Google, Yahoo, and Bloomberg. 

          On the other side of the debate, entertainment companies are thrilled by the prospect of this law, as they have been the victim of losing sales from pirated content on line, including music, movies, and games. It is now up to Congress to decide whether the case of the technology or of the entertainment companies is stronger. 

Finding Jobs on Facebook

          Countless stories have emerged in recent years about people being declined or even fired from jobs for things they have posted on Facebook; however, the social network has also been increasingly used by many to find employment. Harnessing the opportunities foreseen this avenue, the U.S. Department of Labor has decided to partner with Facebook to help Americans find jobs. According to the Chicago Tribune article "Facebook Partners with Labor Department to help Job-Seekers" by Jim Puzzanghera, the union, officially known as "The Social Jobs Partnership" was announced this Thursday by Labor Secretary Hilda Solis. Basically, this move will help centralize all jobs searches on the social network by gathering information for all hiring companies on one page. Since a 2011survey showed that 64% of companies currently use social networking to hire people, this program has strong potential.

          Solis hopes to expand the program by also partnering with other social media networks such as Twitter and LinkedIn. As explained by Facebook's Vice President for Global Public Policy, Marne Levine, the job world needs to keep up with the technology age, and this is a practical way to do it. Levine describes the new site as "a free, online job fair that can be accessed seven days a week, day or night." With the number of currently unemployed people currently being so significant, this new page seems to be a way to help Americans in the most convenient way possible.

Netflix Redeems Itself

        In a September 15 posting, I explained the controversy over Netflix's decision to separate its online streaming and DVD subscriptions, which lowered its stock price significantly. Today, according to a New York Times article by Brian Stelter titled "Netflix Abandons Plan to Rent DVDs on Qwikster," the media giant has announced that it is reversing its decision, and will instead be keeping all subscriptions under one company.    

          Today's announcement, which had a positive impact on the company's stock price in the early hours of trading, came with sobered remarks from Netflix spokesman Steve Swasey and a statement from chief execute Reed Hastings, both communicating that their original decision had the company "moving too fast." Netflix never actually created its proposed DVD company "Qwikster," though there are talks that it will keep the name and perhaps adapt it into a video game rental division in the future. For now, Netflix customers can breathe a sigh of relief that although a price increase will still take effect (the double subscription will now cost $16 a month instead of $10 a month), they will be able to manage all their subscriptions under one account. 

Little Bird in the Big Apple

        This week NYC's iconic pigeons welcomed a bird to town: the Twitter bird. On Thursday, October 6, Mayor Bloomberg and Twitter founder Jack Dorsey were present for the opening of the social network's first New York office. As explained in an article by Ben Popper on the website www.betabeat.com titled "Jack Dorsey Offers Mayor Bloomberg a Job at Twitter’s First New York Office," the new Madison Avenue office is an ideal location because according to Mr. Dorsey himself, the Big Apple is the city with the largest amount of Twitter users in the world and also the second largest amount of Twitter developers. 

        Twitter's new office opening happened during New York's 2011 Advertising Week. This was fitting because of the social network's reputation for being able to drum up enormous ad sales. In addition, the article quotes Mr. Dorsey as saying that "half a billion dollars have been invested into the Twitter ecosystem in the past year." These large sums of money associated with the company will make a good contribution to New York's economic landscape, as it plans create sales and technological engineering jobs in the city. In keeping with Mr. Dorsey's goals, it may even bring people to view New York as almost like the next Silicone Valley. Essentially, this new office opening establishes Twitter as a major corporation worthy of a place alongside other headquarters in the Big Apple, most of which have been around for a much longer time. 

End of an Era

This Sunday, October 2nd, will mark the end of an era. That night, American media icon, Andy Rooney, will give his last regular two-minute commentary for the CBS show "60 Minutes." According Gail Shister's article "Andy Rooney to End Regular '60 Minutes' Appearances," which appeared on Sept. 27 on mediabistro.com, Rooney, the currently 92-year old New York native, started working for CBS in 1949 and began his "A Few Minutes with Andy Rooney" essay segments in 1978. Since 1978, he has had 1,096 essay segments run, and some of his most popular ones include "An Essay on Doors," "An Essay on Hotels," and "An Essay on Women." 

Besides his work on "60 Minutes," Andy Rooney has been a television writer, newspaper columnist, and author of 16 books. Rooney's work has been acclaimed by both audiences and prestigious organizations: he has been the recipient of 4 Emmy awards, 3 Writers Guild awards, the Peabody award, and the National Society of Newspaper Columnists's Ernie Pyle Lifetime Achievement award. Rooney's weekly essays will be greatly missed by CBS employees and audiences, and no replacement has been announced for the time slot yet. It is said that Mr. Rooney does plan on keeping his CBS office, where he will apparently work on his writing and perhaps occasional segments. Rooney has been known to bring record ratings to the "60 Minutes" show, and Sunday night's farewell will most likely prove to be no different.


Below is a video of Andy Rooney's first "60 Minutes" commentary (July 2, 1978).

And here's one from July 2011.

New BlackBerry Curve 9360

         With all the recent hype about the soon-to-be-released iPhone 5, BlackBerry company Research in Motion (RIM) needed to find a way to not get left back in the dust; it is doing just that with its news BlackBerry Curve 9360. According to a Sept. 21st article by Chris Burns titled "BlackBerry Curve 9360 with BlackBerry 7 announced for T-Mobile," this model will boast the latest Blackberry OS and "Webkit browser."

In addition to traditionally loved Blackberry standards, impressive features of the Curve 9360 include a 2.4-inch screen, a 5-megapixel camera, and a newly designed QWERTY keyboard that is supposed to make typing more streamlined. There will also be a stronger emphasis on running applications ("apps"), including Foursquare, in addition to the newest version of BBM, BlackBerry's form of instant messaging.

The Curve 9360 will come in two colors: black and merlot. The black will be released on September 28, 2011, and the merlot will be released on October 12, 2011. T-Mobile customers won't have to pay a fortune for the new phone - if they start a new 2-year contract, it will only cost them $79.99 to purchase the device (much cheaper than the iPhone).

Netflix Nosedives

       Netflix has come to be known as one of the most popular ways for people to access movies, but recent events have proven that this may not last forever if the company does not offer the better deals its customers want. The company's stock price plummeted 18% Thursday due to an announcement that online and DVD subscriptions would be separated, therefore increasing prices for users who want both services unlimited. As explained by an article titled "Netflix Releases Revised Subscriber Estimate, Stock Takes A Nosedive" by Matt Burns on AOL's TechCrunch website, the company predicts a loss of 1 million subscribers, and other steep user losses in each category, due to this price increase. Today's loss (19%) basically reversed the stock's gains over the past year. Although Netflix believes it made the right decision, the company's directors will have to work hard in the future to make up for its losses by enticing new users in innovative and creative ways. 

Smartphones Revolutionize the Fitness Industry (Again)

Whether you want to track how many calories you burn in a day or learn how to do trendy exercises such as yoga or zumba, it seems there are countless smartphone apps out there to help you. Now, as explained in a Reuters article by Natasha Baker entitled "New iPhone app offers rewards for exercising," which appeared on the Chicago Tribune website on August 31st, a newly released iPhone app called Nexercise is taking things a step further - by offering its users rewards for achieving their fitness goals. 

The app - which was developed by Benjamin Young and Gregory Coleman - is free, and it gives users incentive to work out by awarding them points for different exercise activities tracked through the iPhone's sensors. Bonus points can be received for habits that studies show encourage the continuation of exercise, such as working out with a friend. Accumulated points can then be redeemed for discounted or free items, or they can be spent on entries into contests for prizes ranging from Sephora beauty items to GNC vitamins. These items are made available to Nexercise through a deal with an advertising company called Kiip. In the contests, since the value of the prize correlates to the amount of points needed to be spent to enter, people are given the motivation to exercise more frequently and for longer periods of time. 

Nexercise is an exciting release because not only does it track exercise like already existing apps by Nike and other companies, but by using more advanced aspects of technology, it gives users the chance to earn something for their dedication - and in today's tough economy, the words "free" or "discount" are music to just about everyone's ears. For this reason, Nexercise may change the way the world looks at exercise forever.