Do You Want A Drone To Deliver Your Package?

Amazon is not stopping anytime soon. The idea of using drones to deliver packages to get to the consumer quickly and more efficiently has been in the works for quite some time now. But now they are so close to finally putting it in action. They have done multiple test runs and are now saying, “it could start making drone deliveries to consumers’ homes in just months” (Bensinger, 2019). In class, we watched a video of Amazon testing out the drone delivery process and how people felt about getting packages via a drone versus a vehicle. 

Amazon has taken into account consumers beliefs and values and has listened to what they want. Customers were saying how loud the drones could be and how bothersome they could be to a consumer or even a neighbor. Amazon has worked hard on trying to limit the noise the drones produce when delivering packages. “Just because you want a package delivered quickly doesn’t mean you want you or your neighbors to hear it coming” (Bensinger, 2019).  

A main worry with the hundreds of technological advancements going on in our world today is the decrease in need for jobs.  Self driving cars could take jobs away from Uber drivers or taxi drivers. Now, the thousands of people who work for Amazon and the different delivery companies, their jobs could be taken away due to the drones now being able to deliver your packages instead of human beings. “Companies including Amazon have long been working toward a future in which humans and trucks aren’t needed to deliver the millions of online orders consumers place each day” (Bensinger, 2019). These technological advancements are fascinating and there are so many benefits but are people worried about losing their job in the future because of it?

https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2019/06/05/amazons-latest-package-delivery-drone-will-fly-itself/

 

How Do You Feel About Self Driving Cars?

In class we have discussed how technological advancements are changing our future and one specific idea we talked about was self driving cars. As our generation gets older, fewer and fewer people will be taking the wheel in the driver’s seat. Car companies have been working on the idea of self driving cars for years. Tesla for example, has recently launched a new self driving ability that will be able to,  “make it possible for cars to navigate through a parking lot to its owner — without anyone inside — so long as the car is within the owner’s line of sight.” (Duffy, 2019).  This is pretty unique compared to other vehicles that have launched self driving abilities that just help you park in between the lines, this is one of the most advanced skills that a car company has yet to come out with. Tesla released in a blog post, “It’s the perfect feature to use if you have an overflowing shopping cart, are dealing with a fussy child, or simply don’t want to walk to your car through the rain” (Duffy, 2019). This feature on the car will simply bring your car to you so you don’t have to walk and get it. 

Another feature that this new upgrade is bringing to Tesla’s cars is the idea of in car entertainment and this could not be possible if we didn’t have all this amazing technology and the Internet of Things. Tesla owners “will be able to connect their Netflix (NFLX), Hulu and YouTube accounts to the center console to watch — as long as they’re parked” (Duffy, 2019). The idea of in car entertainment has always been seen on the surface with some vehicles having DVD players but the idea of being able to stream TV shows and movies from netflix, youtube, and hulu is a whole new concept. Along with being able to watch tv shows and movies in the new models of the Tesla, with this new update it is also possible to play Caraoke right from the large center consult. (Duffy, 2019). All these advancements in cars are proof of how much technology is affecting our everyday lives. 

It’s crazy to think with this technology in the world how different our lives will be compared to our parents and grandparents. With the Internet of Things making our future so different than the way we have grown up, Tesla is yet another example of how the Internet of Things and technological advancements will change our future. 

 

https://www.cnn.com/2019/09/26/tech/tesla-software-udpate/index.html

 

Is Social Media Good For Us?

Social media is a crazy world and it has truly blossomed during our generation. Being able to communicate with people all across the world, share photos and stories globally, and all the other incredible things social media has to offer. Unfortunately as many of us know, social media  is not all rainbows and butterflies. There are so many wonderful things social media brings to the table for us but it is a known fact that it can also have many negative effects. A major issue with social media has to do with mental health. For example many people comparing themselves to “instagram models” and get so caught up in it that they develop such bad, unhealthy  habits. “Seeing others’ lives on social media platforms like Snapchat “may also expose adolescents to idealized self-presentations that negatively influence body image and encourage social comparisons.”” (Williams, 2019). This is a major issue especially as younger and younger teens are using these platforms. 

Alongside the issue of body image and young people comparing themselves to others and the issues that it arises, bullying is also a large problem that occurs on social media. Since many people think that hurting someone over the internet is easier than in person, people have relied on social media to make fun of or bully people. Obviously, these platforms were not intended to do that but unfortunately it does take place. “Time spent on social media may increase the risk of experiencing cyberbullying, which has a strong association with depressive symptoms’ (Williams, 2019). It is important to learn how to use social media in an appropriate and healthy way as these platforms are still on the rise and are only getting bigger. Our mental health should not be jeopardized by these social media platforms. 

https://www.usnews.com/news/healthiest-communities/articles/2019-09-12/social-media-use-may-increase-teens-risk-of-mental-health-issues

 

Is Instagram Copying Snapchat?

The world of social media can be so competitive, when one app launches an update, the other apps always seem to follow. Instagram and snapchat have been competing for a long time. At first snapchat launched filters and days later instagram had came out with filters too. Let’s see if it happens this time around! Snapchat has just launched a new type of camera lens. It is a 3D camera mode that “Will let users make and share images with diorama-like depth effects that move when you tilt your phone.” (Lunden, 2019). Snapchat launching new features is a great example of staying up to date in the technology and application world and trying to provide services that your competitors don’t. 

Even though Snapchat was the first to launch filters and other features in the past, Instagram still seems to be more popular, “Instagram currently says its DAUs are over 500 million” (Lunden, 2019), while snapchat “Most recently reported 203 million daily active users”(Lunden, 2019). This is probably due to the fact that instagram is a bigger platform and has more to offer, where snapchat is great for sharing quick pictures with instagram you are able to make more of a portfolio.

In class we discussed the importance of making sure your social media accounts reflect positive things about you and how important it is to think every time you post. There has been so many cases where employers want to hire someone but they take a look at their social media and find information and realize that they don’t want that type of person in their workplace. In class we learned that, “70% of employers use Social Media to screen candidates. Just over half of these found content that led them not to get hired”(CareerBuilder).  As social media plays a major role in people’s lives, it is crucial to watch what you put online. 

 

https://techcrunch.com/2019/09/17/snapchat-is-adding-in-a-3d-camera-mode-the-latest-salvo-in-its-feature-race-with-instagram/

https://www.careerbuilder.com

 

Is Nissan Really Launching a Gaming Chair?

In class, we have discussed how big the gaming world has become. We watched a video on Twitch, where thousands of people were live streaming someone playing a video game and the person playing was earning money just by having people watch him play. The gaming world has become so massive that Nissan has been working on developing a chair specifically for gamers that deliver maximum comfort just like a seat in a car.  Very similar to cars, “Comfort and support — are important in a serious gaming chair, especially for people who game professionally” (Hyatt, 2019). As there are more and more technological advancements, gaming as a profession has also become very popular. This is a great business decision for Nissan, as one of the main priorities for car manufacturers is comfort and linking the idea that it is important to be satisfied and comfortable for long drives with the importance of being relaxed and not squirming around to get in a better position when gaming for long periods of time. Nissan making this decision, opens a new audience for them to target and could provide them with increased sales in the future. Nissan is devoting a lot of time and money to this decision, they have partnered “Up with the two wildly popular gaming teams to design new gaming chair concepts based on their most popular vehicles” (Hyatt, 2019). It is crucial to work with other companies who have more experience in the gaming world to become more knowledgeable and blend what they already know with this new world of gaming. 

I think it is so important to pay attention to all of the thousands of technological advancements going on around us, and make smart business decisions based on them. It is critical to stay up to date as Technology continues to take over our lives. 

https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/nissan-gaming-chair-concepts-faze-clan-optic-esports/

 

Will You Be Purchasing The iPhone 11?

As our generation is the most technology advanced group of people, it is no surprise to us when Apple launches a new generation of the Iphone. Apple had their launch party for the new iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, and iPhone 11 Max this past week where they introduced all of the devices features and benefits that makes this phone worth it (Garcia, 2019). With new generations of the iPhone coming out every year, is it really necessary to always be up to date with the newest edition?  Yes, the camera quality will have slight improvements and the battery life “says” it’ll be better, but aren’t the phones we have good enough for everything we need them to do. To me, it seems like each year the newest iPhone benefits from longer battery life and improvements on the camera, but for an average person, I think the last few generations have been of great quality which leads me to wonder, is it really worth upgrading your phone? I, along with many other people are thinking the same thing, “The company’s iPhone sales have slumped in recent quarters in part because consumers are waiting longer to upgrade their smartphones.” (Garcia, 2019). This could be happening for many different reasons. Possibly due to the fact that the last editions of the iPhone are having features that are unnecessary or just too small to make sense of spending so much. 

I am very curious to see how sales turn out for the iPhone 11 after information came out that Apple was listening to people’s recordings on Siri resulting in losing customers trust. Even though Apple came out with a statement and apologized, it is still unclear if this ethical issue had an impact on the company. The number of purchases for this upcoming iPhone compared to other generation launches will show how much breaking ethical values can impact your company in a negative way. 

https://www.cnn.com/2019/09/11/tech/iphone-11-pro-comparison-xr-xs-models/index.html

 

Do We Really Need Another Dating App?

Growing up during a time where there have been so many technological advancements, it is no surprise to us when new dating apps hit the market, but did we really expect the next one to be from Facebook? The new app Dating is very different than most apps claiming that the app will not include photos, Hung mentioned, “We know that inappropriate photos and videos can really ruin peoples’ dating experiences. So we want to make sure that you can build trust with someone before, of course, moving into your chat service of choice afterward,”(O’brien, 2019). Another difference from this app compared to many other apps I’ve seen is the ability to share your location of the date or your current location with friends through the app (O’Brien, 2019). As the world continues to be a dangerous place, dating can be very scary and this feature can help people feel more comfortable when going on dates and meeting people for the first time. 

Facebook is trying to expand their community by opening up to a larger targeted audience. As experiments have shown, there is a great number of Facebook members who are titled as single and Facebook is trying to interact with that niche (O’Brien, 2019). Facebook has done a phenomenal job connecting people together from all over the world and building friendships, so who else would be a better fit to help people build relationships over the internet?

https://www.cnn.com/2019/09/05/tech/facebook-dating-launches-in-us/index.html

 

Are Our Phones Listening to Everything We Say

We have all experienced suddenly seeing a sponsored post on our phones featuring that one item we have been dying to get -and were just talking about with our friends hours earlier. As this was happening to more and more people, Cyber security-specialists at Wanadara wanted to dig deeper and find out what was actually happening behind these devices to find out how they were pulling these advertisements. According to Wandara, in the experiment they placed two phones in a room, one with audio and one silent room. In the audio room they played dog and cat food advertisements and they repeated this for multiple days. When they went to look at the data they had found no correlation between the two as no dog or cat food advertisements were popping up on either of the phones (Tidy, 2019). From the article, “I would put my name to the research and say that we found no evidence at all this was happening on the platforms we tested. It might be happening in a way we don’t know about – but I would say it’s highly unlikely,”(Tidy, 2019) Mr Tuvey said.

Some might wonder, how is this possible? If it happens to us in our daily lives how is it not showing up in the well tested experiment. Well if we think past people listening to our conversations on our phone and look at how much data and information is stored on there, believe it or not, advertisers can learn so much about you by looking at your web history, location and other information to help determine what your next purchase might be. This is something that I find very interesting, imagine all the things you look up on your phone and how the technology behind the scenes is so good at analyzing all the data and picking advertisements that suit each and every individual.

https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-49585682

 

Are Dieting Apps Helping or Hurting Teens?

As obesity continues to be a problem and with more and more technological advances, many people believe that directing dieting apps towards the younger generations could help teens live a healthier lifestyle. Unfortunately, there is a risk that teens may become too focused download these apps and track their calories, they become too focused on what foods they’re putting into their mouths and how much exercise they are getting to the point that they can develop eating disorders. According to the article, “In fact, a recent research review in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reports that the incidence of eating disorders has more than doubled in the last decade.” The most likely explanation is an increased awareness of health and weight loss which is only fueled by our current technology driven society. 

I believe that using technology to help better ourselves and focus on a healthy lifestyle is only beneficial if apps are designed in ways that reduce the risks for any harmful effects that may result from using the app. From the article, “To me, the most troublesome part of the Kurbo app is how many perfectly normal, healthy foods are on the red list,” such as peanut butter and granola, says Virginia Sole-Smith. Living a healthy lifestyle includes foods such as peanut butter and granola and I believe that kids should focus more on those kinds of foods rather than greasy, fried foods. It would be great if the app suggested certain foods to order in the lunch line that could be healthier alternatives compared to the pizza, pasta, and chicken finger line. This could be something I would love to have here at Penn State, knowing where I can get healthy options on campus that take meal points would be great.

source – https://health.usnews.com/wellness/for-parents/articles/diet-apps-are-putting-kids-at-risk

Are Apple Customers Losing Trust?

We all know that apple customers are always buying the newest generations of devices  and are always on the lookout for the most recent launches. Will this still be the case after Apple announces that they were listening to recordings from siri on peoples apple devices? It is very possible that it could break customers trust and result in the loss of long term customers from this privacy issue. Apple tried to fix the situation by stating, “In a blog post Wednesday, Apple said it will require users to opt in to having their recordings listened to by human reviewers, rather than having this be the default”. This statement was put out to try to help people gain back trust in the company. Apple spoke out, “As a result of our review, we realize we haven’t been fully living up to our high ideals, and for that we apologize”. The high ideals Apple is discussing are focused on trust, privacy, and being responsible within the business and by listening to these recordings they have broken these ideals. These technological advancements can be very helpful, especially having siri at your disposal at any time, however this could also be a major invasion of privacy. I know I would feel uncomfortable knowing that people at Apple could be listening to my conversations at any point of time.

source – https://www.cnn.com/2019/08/28/tech/apple-siri-apology/index.html