Tech Evolution

Recording Athletes in a Whole New Way

2014-09-02T15:38:00.002-07:00

When we think of technology we think of computers, social networks, websites and essentially complications. However, when you combine technology with things like the environment, sports and everyday life you can do so much more than just create a new program or build a computer.
Catapult Sports is one of the companies combining technology with the everyday of sports. With their newest product OPTIMEYE G5, S5 and X4 models a device used to track the movements, activity and overall workload of soccer players. These products are working to revolutionize the way professional soccer players train and the algorithms in these products are designed to track dives, leaps, sprints and quick recoveries tracking essentially every move of the individual wearing the device.

To the left is an image of the G5 model and it is meant to work strictly with goal keepers as it is a bit larger than the other models because it has a lot more required of it. This tracks every motion of the goalie and allows for coaches, doctors and even players to review the statistics to see not only how they are performing but also let them see what they may need to practice more.
As these products are still only in testing in Europe with various soccer teams they are still working out any problems that may arise however, they have already started to make various improvements and discoveries. For example they added a function that not only tracks when you jump or dive but also how high you jumped, what your air time was and even run speeds. This will help individuals compare themselves to one another but also allow teams to compare themselves to one another.
Products like this are just small steps into what is to come and with this technology we are only going to see the world of sports improve as the training of individuals will improve as well. In my opinion we may even see future FIFA, Madden and NFL games utilize this device to get exact readings on players individual stats such as acceleration and speed. Just another form of wearable technology which we will see utilized in the years to come.

Sources: Wired

Fully Transparent Solar Panels Could Make Windows a Power Source

2014-08-31T13:38:00.000-07:00

The researchers at Michigan State University have created a full transparent solar panel which essentially could be used as typical glass for windows or screens. The research leader Richard Lunt stated how many settings this solar panel could be placed in "tall buildings with lots of windows or any kind of mobile device that demands high aesthetic quality like a phone or e-reader."

As you can see in the picture to the left this is actually a truly transparent solar cell and although other solar cells have claimed to be transparent in the past but typically cast a shadow or some sort of awkward colorful shadow when the light hit them making them not full transparent at all.
However, Michigan State researchers used a different technique for collecting sunlight and it has yielded a true fully transparent solar cell that could actually be used and seen through by the naked eye at all times.
Now that this technology is available I believe that it should be immediately taken advantage of as their are so many uses that could come from this. Anything from car windows to your iPhone screen could be created with this technology and not only provide green energy but also save the users money and time by not having to hook their phone up to a charger as often or not having to gas up the car all the time.
It's amazing that with technology although we may not be working with the environment directly we help to slow the pollution that we add on a daily basis and take advantage of the pure resources around us. I see a bright future for this new technology and cannot wait to see what uses come about in our everyday lives for it.

Sources: Extreme Tech

Google Chrome 64-bit Available: Faster and more Secure

2014-08-31T13:12:00.000-07:00

We all are constantly looking to download the best browser to enhance our online experience and Google Chrome 64 bit has delivered. With not only faster speeds on sites like youtube.com but also improving security and stability in many ways.
Tasks such as decoding HD video have proven to be 15% faster under the 64-bit version of Chrome. Mozilla Firefox who is one of Chrome's leading competitors has been working on a 64-bit version just like Google but Google but Mozilla won't pull the trigger on releasing it to the public unlike Google. This may cause us to see a release of Mozilla's Firefox 64-bit in the near future if they want to enter this part of the market.
Google has also said that it has seen an average improvement of 25% in graphics and multimedia content. This means less buffering for high quality video, less crashes and an overall better performance coming out of the browser. In addition the crash rate of Chrome 64-bit has been tested and shown to be half of that experienced in Chrome 32-bit.
However there is one small downside to the new 64-bit and it's the fact that Chrome 64-bit does not support of a few of the not so popular plug-ins that are available for Chrome 32-bit. It is offering support for most of the major plug-ins such as Silverlight, Java and Flash which have all been updated to 64-bit furthering the increase in performance with this browser.

To check if your google chrome is up to date to the 64-bit version go to the "about google chrome" selection from the drop down menu on the top righ-hand side of your Chrome browser and you will be able to update your browser if needed. If you are already up to date it will tell you "Google Chrome is up to date" or you will notice you have Google Chrome 37.

Now it seems like a no brainer to go with the new Google Chrome 64-bit browser and that is because as of now it really is the best browser available. Until Mozilla releases a 64-bit version of Firefox overall this new version of Chrome has the best security, speeds and stability which is really what we want out of our browsers to begin with. At this time Google Chrome 64-bit is only available for Windows 7 64-bit and Windows 8/8.1. To download the new browser and test these claims yourself: Download Chrome 64-bit for Windows. Be sure that you see "For Windows 8/7 64-bit" below the Download Chrome button as shown below.

Sources: Extreme Tech
Chromium Blog

Good Idea or Bad? GoPro Dog Mount Harness

2014-08-30T08:13:00.000-07:00

We all know that people are treating dogs more and more like one of the family in this day and age, some people even consider them to be their children and would do anything for them from spending thousands on surgeries, buying outfits for them and even feeding them food off their own dinner table. Is it to the point where we want them to start video taping for us so we can see what it's like to live in the eyes of a dog?

This product is definitely designed for a certain niche of people and although we may not see it a dog with a GoPro attached to it's back often it is something that is out there now. This is meant to analyze whether this idea is a good/profitable one or whether it will take a belly flop and be a waste of time.

GoPro was first created for users who participated in extreme sports to record their awesome skills and allow them to share it with others while not having to hold a video camera or worry about it breaking. I then think to myself what is a dog doing that needs to be recorded besides exploring the backyard, playing with people and eating. I personally may not understand it, but when I go and look on facebook with all of the videos and pictures of dogs on there it may not be such a bad idea after all.

This product is designed for dogs from 15lbs - 120lbs and enables the owner to later watch what their dog has been up to all day. Their are practical uses for it for example if your dog was constantly getting out of the backyard you could use this to see where they are getting out and prevent it from happening in the future or perhaps the dog has been acting oddly after coming in from the backyard and you find out that they have been finding and eating mushrooms in the backyard. This may not be an idea to provide the ultimate extreme video or share brilliantly taken videos but rather a way to find out more about your own dog and show what a day in the life of your dog looks like.

This product is only $60 so it's not something that you need to break the bank to purchase if it interests you, but I definitely don't see a large future for this product unless dogs can start making purchases with their kibbles and bits. Just like many products out there this is meant to target a certain niche of people If you're bored of watching humans create video this is a great option for you!

Sources: Wired Article

Gadget Designed to Make Sure Doctors Wash Their Hands Enough

2014-08-30T07:24:00.000-07:00

Biovigil has introduced a new gadget to the healthcare field and it is designed to make sure that doctor's hands are always extremely clean before interacting with a patient. Around 75,000 patients died last year from healthcare associated infections (HAI's) and cost hospitals over 30 billion dollars. This gadget is designed to sense the amount of bacteria on the doctor's hands before helping patients. The doctor simply puts their hands up to the device which is wearable and if the hands are clean the light will remain green, if their is bacteria detected on the hands then the light will either turn yellow or red to notify the doctor you must wash your hands before proceeding further with the patient.

If the light goes yellow then the doctor must wash their hands and then re-test for bacteria and upon completion the light will turn green. If the doctor was to ignore the yellow light then after several minutes it will glare red indicating that the doctor ignored the yellow signal and essentially will not only show the doctor that they still need to wash their hands but also indicate to the patient that the doctor is not yet fit to work with them.
This device not only applies to the healthcare field in the long run because there are many professions that require the user to have clean hands including those who work in the restaurant industry. This device definitely has the capability to expand its uses throughout the world where cleanliness is a must. By utilizing this device many infections and diseases can be prevented from being spread in workplace environments of all kinds.
Personally i think that this device is a must have now that it exists because it allows not only the doctor to double check themselves but also for the patient or customer to double check them because clearly they do not want to interact with bacteria ridden hands. In the future I see this product moving into any industry that deals with food or health to ensure maximum cleanliness at all times.

As you can see the Biovigil gadget is extremely small and has a simple easy to understand UI that will benefit many people for years to come. It also has a simple clip on the back which can be used to put in on the pocket of a shirt or strap on your belt. I see this being a pinnacle of health in workplaces at least for users hands and am excited to see where Biovigil takes this product in the future to help all of us feel a bit more comfortable in many situations.

Sources: Biovigil Gadget

US Open Debuts the Polo Tech "smartshirt" with Activity Tracker

2014-08-30T06:47:00.001-07:00

In a world where wearable technology is beginning to take over from google glasses to smart watches we are getting used to seeing computers just about anywhere and everywhere in the world around us. Polo tech has taken it one step further with their new "smartshirt" which is currently being used in the US Open by professionals not only to test the product but also to show that it can be worn in even the most extreme conditions.

The activity tracker is located directly under the pectorials and contains conductive threads that come in contact with the skin. There is then a "Black Box" or "Tech Box" that snaps into the shirt near the left rib cage, this box receives heart-rate and breathing data from the wearer which is then translated into Calories burnt, steps taken, and amount of activity split into 3 different categories: Inactive, Moderate Activity and Active.

This tech box will need to be charged once about every 30 hours through a USB charger and also comes with a bluetooth setup to upload information to your smartphone enabling long term tracking for individuals of their activity. According to Ralph Lauren "The Box will be half the size in a few months.... We are a lifestyle brand, major luxury fashion brand. iwant to be able to gather this (biometric) information in a boardroom or from a baby in a crib. We'll find new needs and we're just at the beginning."

As this is the first smart garment in the Polo-brand technology line they have a lot of work to do to make the garment easily wearable for all individuals not just athletes. The garment is washable as long as the tech box is connected and so far they have not seen any issues with the conductive threads with normal wear and tear.

As Polo definitely seems to be after this new wearable technology we will see large strides over the next few years and I'm sure companies like Nike, Adidas and other brand names will follow suit. This sort of technology will be able to benefit all professional sports players and enable their doctors to track not only their health off the court and field but also while they are competing as well.

Wearable technology used to be bulky un-attractive and not appealing to users but now that this technology is being transformed into items that we wear everyday it is almost unnoticeable and soon everyone will be wearing technology without blinking an eye. I know that I am definitely excited to see where wearable technology is going in the years to come.

Sources: Ralph Lauren Tech Shirts

Purchase a tech-shirt today!

Instagram's New App, Hyperlapse Feels Like a $10,000 Video Setup in Your Hand

2014-08-30T06:16:00.000-07:00

The creators of Instagram are releasing their new app known as Hyperlapse which is an app that enables the user to take video and turn it into tracking shots and fast, time-lapse videos almost to look as they were shot by a professional in a Michael Mann film which was previously only possible with a Steadicam. This will only be available to the iPhone at launch which was on August 26th, but they are working quickly to make it available for Android phones as well. As you can see in the video below Hyperlapse not only makes the video move quickly but also stabilizes the video to eliminate the jumpiness that can come from hand-held video.

Hyperlapse is looking to become simply a video speed edit app with smoothing capabilities and will allow users creativity to run rampant with the ability to increase a videos speed up to 12x while making the video smooth as silk. A lot of people are asking why it has been released as a standalone app and not a new feature of Instagram and the answer is that Hyperlapse will not have all of the features of Instagram such as filters. Hyperlapse comes with ony filter and that is a speed filter which allows you to alter the videos from 1x to 12x and once that is set you can quickly upload the video to Facebook or Instagram.

Upon opening the app you will see that the first page is simply a video recorder with a record button and when the video is finished you simply test the different speeds that are available and when you are finished the app quickly renders the video and can enable the user to fit up to a 12 minute video into 1 minute.

The reason that this kind of technology is now available on phones is because they have created algorithms that use a fraction of the battery life to run the app as they would have several years ago where a iPhone would not have had the raw power to run something so powerful. Now that we can create videos that $10,000 equipment used to be required to make the possibilities of what we will see coming out on Facebook and Instagram are endless.

It is still to early to tell whether or not this will become something that is used by people in everyday or only fit to a certain niche of people in the industry but it will be fun to see where Hyperlapse ends up in the next few years and if it will truly be used to it's full potential by its users.

Download Hyperlapse Here

More Videos: Introducing Hyperlapse from Instagram

Stabilization for Hyperlapse from Instagram

Healthy Living

2014-08-19T19:00:00.001-07:00

When people think of being healthy immediately we are struck with images of the gym, muscles, diets and running shoes but is that all it takes to be healthy in this day and age? We are constantly seeing people who are gym rats and spend 4-5 times a week perfecting their physical selves but there is more to it than that. To live healthier you must not only work on your physical self but your mental and spiritual health as well to live to your maximum potential.

Lets face it we have all met people who look physically fit and healthy but the rest of their life is in ruins or perhaps they are in poor physical shape but are extremely intelligent or extremely spiritual . Now this is in no way saying that only being only healthy in one aspect in life is wrong, but rather stating that it is not truly the full definition of what healthy living is. A good definition I found for what healthy living is:

"At a population level, healthy living refers to the practices of population groups that are consistent with supporting, improving, maintaining and/or enhancing health. As it applies to individuals, healthy living is the practice of health enhancing behaviours, or put simply, living in healthy ways. It implies the physical, mental and spiritual capacity to make healthy choices." (Public Health Agency of Canada).

So basically as people we have three different aspects of life that have needs which are the physical, mental and spiritual needs we have. Things like food, reading and spiritual connections (not necessarily religious) all play a daily part in our overall health and in order to enjoy our lives to the fullest each of these must be regulated on a daily basis. In other words keeping a happy medium and not over indulging or depriving ourselves from anything that provides us with a healthier life.
Now what steps can we take on a daily basis to better ourselves in every aspect? These are some suggestions made by professionals in the industry.
1. Analyze Yourself
a. Physical - Make doctors/dentist appointments to make sure you are up to date with your own health.
b. Physical - Assess your current weight, height and BMI (Body Mass Index)
c. Mental - Determine current typical moods/energy on a daily basis
d. Spiritual/Mental - Look at your social life including friends, family and whether or not these connections are affecting you positively or negatively.

2. Get Out and Go!
a. Physical/Mental - Make every experience FUN, whether it means bringing friends along or adding fun twists to your hikes, walks, runs or gym sessions.
b. Physical/Mental - Keep track of your physical activity. Mark your calendar with the days you exercise in detail and look at it daily to use as both a motivator and reminder.
c. Physical/Mental - Set goals for yourself as it will help motivate and once goals are met also helps build confidence levels.
d. Physical/Mental - Keep activity in everyday even if it's only 15 minutes of exercise a day it is better than 0 minutes.

3. Eat Better
a. Physcial - Replace snack food with fruits and vegetables.
b. Physical - Take vitamins on a daily basis to make sure you are getting all the nutrients you need.
c. Physcial/Mental - Guilt can play a large part in unhealthy eating, skip the guilt and concentrate on the positives. Don't try to eat your problems away.
d. Physcial/Mental - Plan your meals so that they work with your schedule and you have complete control over what goes in. This includes stocking the house with healthy foods instead of junk food. Out of site out of mind.
e. Physcial - Savor your food and slow down. Those who eat quickly tend to eat more because their body doesn't have the time to start digesting and realize that it's full.

4. Manage Stress
a. Physical/Mental/Spiritual - Create some coping techniques to deal with everyday stress an example of this would be something like yoga, prayer or even exercise.
b. Mental - Defeat suddenly stressful situations there are a plethora of ways that people handle stressful situations this could be punching a pillow or retreating to a quiet place to breath and reflect.
c. Mental/Spiritual - Don't dwell on things that don't matter. Take a step back and ask yourself will this matter to me in the future?
d. Physical/Mental/Spiritual - Breathe. Breathing is shown to be one of the best ways to calm not only the physical body but also the mind and spiritual body. If you find yourself in a situation that you cannot handle slow down and breathe calm yourself.

5. Quality Sleep
a. Physical/Mental - Don't exercise before bed causes the body to sweat which tends to prevent easily falling asleep.
b. Physical/Mental - Hot shower or bath before bed as it relaxes the body.
c. Physical - Setup a sleep schedule so that you are always getting the recommended 6-8 hours of sleep.

6. Relationship Check-Up
a. Mental/Spiritual - Remove relationships harmful to yourself or that negatively effect you.
b. Mental/Spiritual - Find friends who share have similar interests so that you can more easily communicate and relate to each other.
c. Mental/Spiritual -If a relationship is negative but is too close to be let go then work to fix it.

Hopefully these steps can help people to make better decisions on a daily basis to help improve their overall health and not negate to fulfill all of your needs. Next time you consider if your living healthy ask yourself am I fulfilled in ALL aspects of my life.

Sources: WebMD
Public Health Canada

Ten Behaviors To Give Up For Success

2013-05-29T17:21:00.000-07:00

In order to be successful in this world in this day and age we must learn to be the best at everything we do. Everyday that we sit and wait we are simply being passed up by people who have the drive and the right mentality to work as hard as possible everyday and make their lives better. This was a meeting that I listened to in my workplace and it has many tips that I feel can help each of us in our everyday lives.

10 Behaviors to Give Up
1.Give up the Habitat of Waiting
Everyday we sit and wait for opportunity to find us, we end up losing out on opportunities that others are taking advantage of. It's our time to shine and make a name for ourselves rather than being left behind.
2. Give up Making Excuses
Each of us take the time to make an excuse for why bad things happen and we fail. Rather than always blaming the times or others around you, take the time to understand that you shape your own world and everything around it. No one is at fault except you.
3. Give up Trying to be Perfect
No one will ever be perfect so we have to realize that we can strive to do our best, but with every failure brings the strength to succeed later on. Do not try to be perfect because it is an impossible standard to hold yourself to. Be the best you that you can be and learn to be happy with it.
4. Give up Doing Wrong Things
We are what we do and the people who do wrong things every single day. Make an effort to be a better person and one who strives in the right not the wrong. Keep yourself to a higher standard than what the people in this world are doing everyday.
5. Give up the Feeling of Entitlement
No one in this world owes you anything. Don't expect your success to come from anyone else as this is simply a world where you must make your own way and keep striving and pushing everyday to earn your way and create your own success.
6. Give up Relationships that Expect you to Change
People in this world did not become successful by changing themselves to be like everyone wanted them to be. Each day we must learn to embrace our individuality and show it to the world with pride and prestige because each of us has something to offer the world.
7. Give up Letting Others Decide what you can and cannot do
You are your own leader. Do not let anyone tell you how to live and what you can and cannot do. People told Walt Disney that he was not creative and look what he created. No one knows what you can do only you have that control.
8. Give up Being Helpless
We are in control of everyday be the leader you need to be in order to succeed. You are not helpless rather you are strong and can change everything for yourself.
9. Give up Worrying about past Failures
Do not worry about failures that have came and went. If we concentrate on learning from each failure we can only develop ourselves into more well-rounded successful individuals. Embrace your failures, because without failures we cannot succeed.
10. Give up Blaming Others
There is no one to blame for your failures except yourself. Just as if you came successful one day you can do it and say that YOU DID IT! No need for anyone sharing your success story, just as they should not have anything to do with your failures.

Just some words I thought would help everyone grow a little bit in themselves everyday until meeting their ultimate goals! Do not strive to be mediocre but strive for success, strive to be the best!

Daily Grind

2013-05-28T19:30:00.001-07:00

Each day, we wake up and go straight to business. The 9-5 Monday-Friday work week we all dread and has us all saying "Can't wait for the weekend!". If we all hate this lifestyle so much it just made me wonder why do we force ourselves to do it? Why not just move to Greece and live off of the land and provide for yourself without having to worry about how much your paycheck is going to be from week to week. Is this way of life so amazing that we all just want to go out and fist pump every Saturday night. I know I don't. When it all starts to make sense the reason we work so hard day after day is because we are motivated by something. Whether it be starting a family, being the richest of the rich or just having enough to get by and enjoy life in your own way. All of these things that motivate us to work require money and as unfortunate as it is we are controlled by it. Each day the daily grind gets us, countless Facebook posts on how everyone hates waking up early or updates saying how happy they are that the day is over and the weekend is coming. We all need to make sure that we are playing as hard as we are working though, each of us has to work but in the long run the truth is all work and no play makes each of us boring as it gets. Eventually we all want to retire and never work another day in our life so I encourage not only myself but also everyone to continue working hard and step at a time make this world a better place, get our economy out of the dumps and make enough money for all of us to retire and party all day everyday! Hard work pays off, pay now and play later!

A Prayer for the Families

2012-12-15T08:47:00.001-08:00

Yesterday our country suffered a great loss in the Connecticut shooting. This is a time for each of us to send our prayers and hearts to each of the families who have suffered greatly and know a pain that many of us will never know. This is a time where we must realize how much each of us really has and that family is all that matters in the end. We all may wonder how someone could ever look into the eyes of these children and mercilessly kill them and although this person was disturbed and perhaps mentally ill there is no way to justify what he did. So today is a day for mourning for the families who lost and throughout the day we should remember them and pray that they get all of the time, love and prayers they need to make it through this difficult time. I can never imagine losing any of my family to a tragedy such as this and these poor families never deserved to have their children taken from them. These children had Christmases, birthdays and all of their lives to look forward to and it was taken from them, so please God take care of them in Heaven as they join you in a place of perfection. Bless the teachers who risked their lives to keep the children safe and became heroes for the rest of us to look up to. It's time to take a stand against this unnecessary violence and unite as a nation to fight against these criminals and murderers, it's time for a change. To each family that lost their children: We love you and pray that you can somehow regain your strength, hope and lives in this difficult time you are not alone and we are all behind you, praying for you and will support you in any way we can. You are loved.

Cell Phone Companies... What a Scam

2012-11-29T07:04:00.000-08:00

So today I went to upgrade my phone from mostly because my screen is currently cracked all over. So I think "ok the whole family has an upgrade it's a good time to do it". Boy was I wrong we went to buy three of the new HTC 8x Windows phones and as they rang each item up the tech guy said "that'll be $850.00". Seriously!?? Three phones with upgrades come out to almost $300.00 each. They charged us activation fees, new plan fees, and offered no rebates on the phones. What ever happened to the good old days when they would say each of these phones comes with a mail in rebate for $50.00 and we will activate your phone for free while also transferring your contacts and making sure that you are satisfied. I guess that cell phone companies have forgotten what it means to do business and are only worried about making extra money on something that costs them hardly anything to do. I realize I am just ranting here, but seriously what the hell is going on I'm about to bust out my old LG flip phone and activate it just to make a point too bad I'm addicted to smartphones like the rest of the world though. I hope that Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile and all of the cell carriers that are trying to scam each of us can read this and think "wow, we do suck". When you have had the same customers for 10 years you don't charge them $800.00!

Tanning

2012-10-03T12:31:00.002-07:00

Alright this is for all you out there who think tanning makes you look better during the winter because everyone is apparently ugly when their normal pale skin color. I understand it is fall everyone and you want your skin to match the orange of the pumpkins and leaves changing and that's great and all good for you having that kind of spirit, but is it worth it? I am not sure why this topic bothers me so much but I feel that it is such a shallow act and just in the end stupid. Your gonna be twice as wrinkly as you age which last time I checked is not sexy and probably contract skin cancer or melanoma and no melanoma is not a sexy word for sexified. The fact is that tanning in the end is not worth the risk, just like smoking sure you may feel cool and think you look good now, but life is more than just birth to 30 years of age you have a lot more to go through. I am not trying to bash anyone for doing it and if it is what really makes you fell good about yourself and you don't care about the consequences then knock yourself out and go tanning everyday. Just make sure your not doing it blindly because it's something to take seriously and really won't benefit you in anyway when you older. So make the decision not to go tanning and get rid of that orange glow your rocking and one day I will say "Orange you glad you listened to me".

iPhone Vs. Droid Vs. Samsung Galaxy S3

2012-09-30T08:24:00.001-07:00

Well the topic that has for the last couple years has plagued the world. The iPhone vs. The droid vs. The Samsung Galaxy S3 and soon to go against the Windows 8 phone as well. After reading some reviews here it the bottom line on the iPhone 5, it is a fantastic phone but it is a phone that should have been out since 2010 with Apple finally integrating long since needed features such as a bigger screen, flat body and finally 4G is capable with the iPhone 5. The processing speeds are still not as fast as some droids or the windows 8 phones which according to statistics should have more processing power and speed. However, the iPhone 5 is a beautiful phone and the average person who wants complete and simple usability will be pleased as it is made to be easily understood without any problems. If you are looking for a wider screen you should check out the Samsung Galaxy S3 which as been a huge success for Samsung as of late with a beautiful sleek look and raw processing power which makes it fast but the battery is not that of the Droid Razr Maxx which is one of the top phones for battery life right now and the way to go for smart phones if you are looking for longevity. The upgrades Apple has added are as followed: new noise cancelling technology, as somewhat upgraded camera as they are trying to keep up with other phones, they have implemented a turn by turn navigation system and added a smarter Siri. One issue has been so far that the maps in the iPhone are buggy and not working properly still however so be aware of that even though I'm sure it will be fixed in an upcoming software update. The only other issue that seems to be coming up with the iPhone is the fact that all of the cables are going to have to be new, say goodbye to your old iPod docks because the iPhone 5 will not fit and my biggest problem with this is that it seems to be a scheme for more money and everyone will have to buy new accessories for their phones which is a bit of a bummer. After reading many reviews the iPhone will not be a technological breakthrough as the iPhone 4S was or the original iPhone, but none the less it is a good phone and an upgrade of what current Apple customers have. I personally will never be an iPhone customer, but I enjoy my tech especially the power that is being implemented into the new droids and windows phones that almost all have bigger screens and unfortunately have made most of the updates that the iPhone is not just getting. I know I concentrated on mostly the iPhone only because I feel as though is relates to the largest demographic. In the end I would say the iPhone for the everyday person who wants a phone that will do what they want and do it well most of the time, it is a consistent phone that you can count on however. If you want processing speed, bigger screens, higher quality cameras and just overall a more technologically advanced phone the iPhone may not be the phone for you. I guess all in all phones have come a long way and no one company is really in the lead in the smart phone world for now, so as of now you just have to choose what phone you feel is right for you.

What's the Rush?

2012-09-29T09:22:00.000-07:00

In everyday life everyone seems to be in a rush, for those of you who live in New Jersey and drive on our roads everyday you know what I mean. The speed limit seems to be more of a guideline rather than a law anymore. People beeping when someone doesn't go in the first second of the light going green, running yellow lights that we obviously won't make and riding up so far on someones butt that they can see you picking your nose in their rear view mirror. I am guilty of all of these things I drive like a maniac, but I'm just wondering... whats the rush? Why am I rushing to work, school, or even to go out on a Saturday night, will it really make all the difference if I'm there 5 minutes earlier? Or maybe we are just riding the Pennsylvania driver in the left lane who refuses to pass anyone. I'm just saying everyone needs to relax a little bit because we are stressing each other out! Two days ago I was rushing around and of course the driver in front of me rolls down his window pulls to the side of me and begins to scream with his special finger up. Yea, these things happen, but I probably am to blame or maybe the guy was just having a bad day. If it's such a big deal maybe leave a couple minutes early so your not freaking out with road rage when the person in front of you refuses to go above the speed limit or just maybe stop driving all together and save our ozone layer. Being rushed is a part of life and will always happen, but maybe take your time for once and do it in your own time not worrying about what might happen if it's not done as fast as possible or your 5 minutes late because in all reality it's not that serious. So take a chill pill, quit the rush and get your relax on.

Release the frustration

2012-09-28T21:39:00.001-07:00

So I tend to be a person that holds a lot in especially when it comes to my emotions, which I am sure many of you can relate to. My question is how can we release this? People say, well you have to talk to someone about it, but why on earth would anyone want to hear about my emotions? For some reason that just doesn't click in my head although they may actually want to listen. I feel like through this blog I have finally found a way to trick my mind into perhaps expressing a bit of how I feel, even though the topics may not be important I feel that all of you can relate to me and I thank you for reading. I guess I'm just telling you all that it is good to have a sort of release whether it be taking our a gun and shooting a pillow, jumping up and down screaming at the top of your lungs (if your a 5 year old haha) or maybe just talking to someone. Get that frustration out because otherwise you might as well be a ticking time bomb and hopefully nobody you love is around when you go off because it won't be pretty. So next time someone says what's wrong just tell them because even if they are only asking to be nice that's their mistake and now it's their time to hear all about it!So don't let anyone silence you and seriously, find something that works for you and use it because if not that frustration will get out and you won't be in as much control as you could and you may just regret it, I know I have before.

Unions...Seriously?

2012-09-27T04:49:00.001-07:00

So this morning on my way out for the day I noticed that there was a group of union workers standing outside of a construction site with a giant blow up rat with signs up about how they deserved the construction work over the privately owned company. So let me get this straight the person building didn't want to hire the group that costs more money, takes twice as long and works half as hard; seems to make sense to me. I am not speaking against the workers of the union keep in mind but rather what they stand for. They think that they should earn more money because they are part of an organization, in turn them making more money also makes them lazier because if you're making more money why would you want the job to take less time. Everyone has driven past those construction sites where there is one guy working and 6 guys standing around having their 7th lunch time of the day and no one can tell them to get back to work because they are union and they get twice as many breaks as normal construction workers, it's ridiculous. Please keep in mind I am not speaking of the policeman, teachers and firefighters that work hard to make this country great, but the lazy many who gives these unions a bad name and the rich unions that do not want to help out the private unions. In America right now many of our jobs are going overseas and for this very reason, the workers in America are much more expensive in America. We continue to wonder why our economy is in the dirt and jobs are so hard to find and that is for the simple reason that we are no longer the country that believes hard work is necessary to become successful and that money should simply be handed to us for the most minimal amount of work. I could rant about this all day, but I think you get the idea. It's time to wake up America and work for our economy to rise again rather than blaming it on any one man this is a country that came into existence because of hard work not from high pay rolls and lazy attitudes.

Greenbay Packers Vs. Seattle Seahawks

2012-09-25T13:49:00.001-07:00

Well it's the time of the year we all love Football Season, but slowly our year is being ruined due to replacement referees and greedy pro football refs on strike looking for more money. The integrity of the NFL has become more and more questionable as each game plays and their is no better example than what happened last night Monday 9/25/2012 which will be known as one of the most controversial calls of all time in the Greenbay Packers Vs. the Seattle Seahawks. All day long I have watched replays over and over about what happened and countless people are saying the refs got it wrong, and it is becoming universally upsetting. I am a Greenbay Packers fan so perhaps I have a bit of a biased opinion but over and over we watch how each of these professional players and reporters are saying that it is ridiculous how the referees called the game and ruined it for the Packers. It's time to wake up NFL! Your all making so much money yet you can't even call a fair game and as we watch week after week we will continue to be upset and disappointed that one of the biggest games in America is becoming unfortunately terrible. No matter what kind of fan you are it's time to send a message because this is getting ridiculous and many are not passionate about this topic but for those of you who are you know what I'm talking about. Let's get our NFL back to the way it should be so the professional players can give us games and display their skill without the luck of the back-up referees calling in their favor! This is not a hate message to anyone, but rather a message that things need to go back to the way they should be so we can all once again see integrity in our sport.

Love is not a chore

2012-09-24T19:39:00.002-07:00

Most people out there at some point and time in life are looking for that life changing relationship where their first kiss will be there last and they no longer have to wonder whether they are going to have to go life alone. When looking for this part of life many of us desire we tend to look in the wrong places though and we find relationships that just turn out not be for us. Working hard to make the other person happy in a relationship is not a chore though, when it comes down to it your everyday life, activities and just how you are should make that person happy. Time and time people put themselves through hell trying to hold onto something that is not there with a person that just does not get them or has no respect for them, but we are so obsessed with finding "love" we can't see what's really going on. We need these experiences to learn and develop as people to make sure we don't make the same mistakes in relationships for the future. I have been fortunate or unfortunate enough to have every bad experience I can think of and now I find myself in one of the best relationships of my life. Just by me acting like myself I can make her one of the happiest girls in the world and that's what it comes down to being yourself and enjoying the one who enjoys you for being you. There can always be effort put forth into a relationship to make each other happy but it should never feel like a chore or something you have not found what you are looking for, because chores should manage your everyday not your love life. Find the person who wants to be with you for you and not for what you can do for them.

Fall is here... finally!

2012-09-24T11:46:00.002-07:00

My favorite time of year has finally arrived, it's just cool enough to wear my long sleeve shirts but there is the chance at a warm sunny day yes that means its Fall. Football, beer, World of Warcraft (in my case) and hoodies. The leaves are just starting to get that color that makes the world look alive with the oranges, reds, yellows and light greens. Something about this season just makes me feel good inside like I can do whatever I want and everything will be ok, which is strange right? Sunday football comes around with playoff baseball and all of the sudden all the old friends are back together eating wings, drinking and making the good times roll. Finally we can all wear enough clothing that we can put on a few pounds and nobody would be the wiser that our six packs from the summer are gone and we are eating pies and cakes. This isn't a blog to give advice or insight, but rather a salute to the season that brings Amuurica to life where and the only differences that matter are what kind of fan you are. So bring fall in with a beer and a couch this year!

Do You, Not Them

2012-09-24T11:04:00.003-07:00

This week has been an interesting week, my emotions have really flared like never before. I ended up having one of the worst tempers that I have had in a long time and I payed for them dearly. I let things other people were doing get to me and ruin my good time and it was ridiculous. I am making a change, and from now on I'm just gonna do me and not worry about them. I have always been an emotionally driven person and that has made me passionate and spontaneous in both good and bad ways as many times I am unpredictably and asshole or the best friend you ever had and it shows. Many people are like that and they let things going on that doesn't concern them get to them or things going on with a person that is close to them, but they are gonna make their decisions and not take you into consideration most of the time so don't sweat the little things, pick your battles and DO YOU. Next time you see something getting you upset or irritated look the other way and find something that gives you a good feeling and get rid of all that negativity. Life is too short to live it with angst and hate and I'm learning how to make the most of each and every day without hurting anyone in the process. So keep the good times rolling and surround yourself with the positive and DO YOU!

We are the new adults

2012-09-17T16:05:00.002-07:00

As the days go by I am starting to realize more and more that I'm growing up and becoming the adults of the day and age. I sit in class and am working hard to graduate so I am on my way to looking at children one day and telling them that they are the future because I am the present creating the future that they will one day take over. It is a weird thought to get through my head but it really struck me today when I realize that I take care of myself and even my parents in many cases; what happened?!?! I miss the days of no responsibilities woke up at 12:00 went outside all day and played then came inside dinner was ready and the rest of the night was for video games and friends. Hope is not lost though, as I create a future with my loving girlfriend and supportive brother, family and friends I look forward to what the world of adulthood has to offer and hope that I will create a better world for those who are now enjoying a life of childhood. So next time you say you don't want to grow up think about what you can do for those growing up now and get excited about the world you can create for them.

Rest and Relaxation

2012-09-16T21:02:00.002-07:00

Finally after a week of hard work and schooling I had a day off and boy what a day. I don't know how some people can be such workaholics and always have to be doing something. If it came down to me sitting on a couch all day with my girlfriend relaxing watching movies or going out partying, working, or anything else I would be on that couch with no problem. So as I do just that sit on my couch playing games and not caring what is going on in the outside world around me, because I have all I need right here. Now this may not be the lifestyle for everyone I know many like to be out and about partying and experiencing new things and I am all for that as you can't live your life from the couch, but wouldn't it be awesome if you could? I'm not hating on any kinds of lifestyles, but when it comes down to it everyone needs that time to just relax and just be a bum because without it you might just go crazy, I know I would.

Another day another dollar

2012-09-14T22:13:00.002-07:00

As I worked my life away yet again today I realized that I might as well make the best of it, even if it's almost impossible to make the best of serving other people and taking shit from them. I literally tried to turn each customer into someone I would like to talk to and hang out with in my mind so that maybe I would be able to throw on a fake smile long enough for them to throw me a buck or two... pathetic I know. Tonight however I realized something, you have to make the best of everything and can't just sulk and be miserable because in the end when you go home you are going to still be that miserable person and no one wants to be around that. I also realized that I needed to take more days off to spend some time with friends, family and of course my girlfriend, but that is another topic entirely. When it comes down to it, no matter what you do for a living whether it be teaching children, cleaning up after people or running a million dollar company if you can't have a good time and put a smile on your going to be no better than you were the day before. Life does not hand you what you want, you have to work for it and this is just one step you can take at achieving your goals because not everyday will be full of rainbows and farts.

As It Turns Out

2012-09-11T16:41:00.004-07:00

So one thing that I have learned today is that you can please everyone. On a typical day I would lie and get myself out of situations, but I practiced something new today... the truth. Usually I would have excuse after excuse as to why I could not go out so as not to upset anyone, but today I told everyone what I was actually doing only to find out that they were cool with it and we made plans for a later date. There may not be enough time in the day, but there is certainly time you can make for people later on. Rather than lying and saying your sick, dog died, family issues just go with the truth. So as I sit down to end my day I have learned one thing that people may suprise you and there is a way to please everyone.