Google is talking with Verizon to discuss possible Google applications on Verizon phones. The talks revolve around technology and potential business models such as advertising-sponsored services. The Google-powered phones are expected to meld several of its applications, including Google Maps, YouTube and Gmail. I currently have Verizon and I think it would be great if Google was on my phone. Read more about it at
Izz Shahdin
According to an article in PC World, the aging IT workforce and the decrease in the number of Computer Science college graduates will greatly increase the need for IT professionals in the next few years. As the baby boomers get ready for retirement many positions will open and there are not as many qualified candidates avialable to fill the positions.
Good news for people who order concert tickets online from Ticketmaster! On October 15th, a federal judge ordered RMG Technologies to stop selling software that lets users flood the Ticketmaster Web site with requests and snap up tickets in bulk, beating people who log in manually to buy tickets. Ticketmaster argues that the software programs have allowed ticket brokers “to cut to the front of the line and deprive customers of fair access to tickets”. I’m glad to hear this, I always order tickets online.
Louise Tillstrom
The production of the 45-nanometer chps started the Intel’s Chandler, Arizona plant called Fab 32 on Thursday. The processors are built to pack alot more transistors which increases processing power while staying at the same level pf power consumption. These chips are to replace Intel’s product line for PC laptops, servers, and consumer products. Besides a better power to performance ration these chips are also more environmentally safe because they are the first to not use the chemical halogen. The price of these processors are guestimated to be around $999.
http://www.informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=202602140
Mark Prince
With the upcoming holiday season, Nintendo ruled out a price cut. Already the game console is cheaper than PS3 and Xbox360. They have struggled with meeting the demands as it is, and a price cut would make it that much more difficult. Also, they will finally be selling the consoles in China next year, so meeting that demand as well as the rest of the world will be a challenge.
Already, Nintendo has shipped about 3.9 million Wii units around the world in the last three months, bringing the total since its launch last year to 13.2 million units.
Moreover, Nintendo unveiled a function that allows users to send each other games over the Internet using the Wii’s shopping channel. You can buy a game for a friend then send it to them as long as their Wii is hooked up to the Internet. There will also be a “Wii Fit” game due out later this year in Japan to buoy future sales. The game allows players to weigh themselves, check their balance and play fitness games like yoga, hula hoops and ski jumping.
I am not a videogame fanatic but I do really like the Wii. It’s more interactive and now it’s adding features that Xbox and PS have. I think its better for kids too because when I played it, your not entirely warped into the screen but sort of interact with who you are playing with unlike the other consoles.
Lauren Guida
Samsung has recently shown off their new 64 GB memory chips, to be used to make 128 GB memory cards. One chip alone can hold information amounts equal to 40 DVDs or 18,000 songs! These chips are designed to use flash– specifically NAND flash. NAND is the better of two types of flash memory (the other is NOR, used in cell phones), having higher storage capacity and faster speeds. With these drastic improvements in capability for flash memory, flash will soon rival hard drives. My question is, have we reached a point where we have more storage capability than we need? How many people have 1,000 songs let alone 18,000? For further information, check out the full article: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7057717.stm
John Goldner
Best buy has pulled all analog tv’s of the shelves because of the change to digital television in 2009. All tv’s will be LCD or flat panel. More then 60 million citizens rely on analog television now and will have to switch over to digital or buy converter boxes. The government will be making coupons for converter boxes that will be able to be purchased at best buy.
I read an article titled The Google Way: Give Engineers Room, written by Bharat Mediratta on October 21, 2007. The article was in the NYTimes. The article talks about what it is like working for Google. They say that 20% of the time that the employees of Google are working, they have to themselves to go with any ideas that they might have. When a person does have a great idea, they form a “grouplet” and work to create this idea and sell it to the rest of the company. The company is basically given free reign on themselves to work for the betterment, in the end, of the company. This is a great way to run a company if you ask me. It allows creativity and passion to become a part of working. This article reminded me of the video we watched during class. Great company to work for! The article can be found at http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/21/jobs/21pre.html?_r=1&ref=technology&oref=slogin.
Brenna Handzo
Spending in the computer technology industry will top a trillion dollars this year. Global IT accounts for 2.5% of the worlds gross domestic product. The IT industry will employ 35.2 million people next year, and will pay a trillion dollars in taxes in 2007. China is expected to add the most IT jobs with the US following behind in 2nd. Companies in “the Microsoft ecosystem” will earn more than 400 billion dollars in revenue this year. The IT industry is a huge world wide and with more and more reliance on computers one could only imagine that the industry can only continue to grow.
Mark Prince
Indiana State University has put sensors in the football players helmets. These sensors will register if the player is hit hard enough to suffer a concussion. They are hooked up to a computer that is being monitored on the sidelines. 98G means a concussion. There was a player that was knocked out at 65Gs, and a player who wasn’t even knocked out at 155 Gs. They will not let anyone play if they have suffered a concussion, possibly pulling them out for a few weeks. I think this is a great idea. It gets the players medical attention a lot faster. As soon as the hit is registered on the screen the medics are on their way out to the field.
Louise Tillstrom
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