Gotta Love Technology

You know, I dont know if I realized how easy technology makes our day to day existence. Twitter, facebook, texting, emailing... It makes it so easy to stay in touch with people i feel that there is no excuse to NOT stay in touch. Especially after this week, my very own appointed week from hell i realized that without all these various outlets of technology it would be a million times harder to stay in touch and share important information. Now, the downside to having all these ways to communicate and chat is that it can be very ADDICTING! I am on facebook on my handy Iphone 24-7! its hard when i am sitting around all i seem to do is now check facebook and twitter! I wonder if i am going to find a happy medium. I am so grateful i have these many outlets to keep in touch but at the same time, am i going to become a mindless drone who is always connected? Stay Tuned, and i guess we'll find out!

Ipad....

Everyone is now aware that I am a huge apple fan. Anything I can spend money on that is apple affiliated i am there. I have anticiapting and waiting and longing for the Apple tablet and its officially finally here. And I gotta say, although at first I was all like I NEED ONE immediatly, now i think i can hold off a bit. I do have a few problem,s with it. first off the name. I cant stand it its like so feminine hygiene.... it sounds like Ipad brought to you by always with WINGS! It does seem like a giant Iphone, so do i really need an ipad? I just want it!!! itsa so pretty!!! I will say that i am going to wait until the second or third generation in order for apple to work out all the kinks. Thats the power of branding will do to you-get you to buy things you may not really need!

Avatar

It can be said that James Cameron's new movie, Avatar is a love story, an action movie, and even a war film, while all of this rings true, I think the main story trying to be delivered is that we are all connected. People, humans, animals, all interact together-to survive. Since fourth grade i have not thought much about the fact that because of plants, and trees we breathe. This movie shifts everything and put everything back into perspective even if it is for a day. The film really did inspire me to reconsider the beautiful surrondings i live in that i on a daily basis forget about. Our technology, our way of living as society, is costing us our enviroment-our planet. after this? there is no other planet! The message is beautiful, not only the love for the enviroment and the idea that we are one with the earth. I loved the fact that instead of I love you, they say I see You. I see you, the REAL you. Mind Body and Soul. Its a wonderful way to consider how you love and see people.

The film itself I will say is a story line that we have seen time and time again, but the way it was made-so visually stimulating, the creativity found in the animals, and pandora makes up for it. I know i would have been bothered about the story line if i did not have all these different aspects of the film to enjoy. There was always something to look at, never a dull moment. Goes to show that you dont have to make a movie like saw to make more money than you can count. I have to say, Avatar is now up on my list of favorite movies. It inspires me to be better as a person especially when dealing with mother nature.... if you'll excuse me im off to water my plants... I'll SEE you!

Apple Owns...... ME.

I have to admit, Apple owns me and runs my life. Living without my iPhone any day would be treacherous. I cannot imagine owning anything but an apple computer-simply put, they are the best! My ipod, is my best friend. I simply cannot live without music, and my ipod makes it possible to have music constantly blaring in my ear. I will probably buy anything Apple throws my way.... even if i don't fully understand it. For example, the much anticipated and very secretive Apple tablet... I have to admit, I do not fully understand what it is used for yet i know that i probably buy it. I am anxiously awaiting and anticipating for the next apple event, which will take place on January 27th. This day, Apple will probably introduce an array of improved products that will be SCREAMING at me to SPEND YOUR MONEY! And I will. The truth is Apple products make my life easier, make my life happier. My iPhone keeps me connected to the whole world while providing endless hours of entertainment with their countless amounts of applications. These applications, entertain and help educate. There is an application for everything! For example, there is a application called bar max made especially for lawyers that cost 1000 dollars!! It is an application that provides students with countless amounts of study materials and audio lectures to help students pass the California bar exam. Apple thinks of everything and everything to help enrich our lives while doing it in a very sexy way. You have to admit all apple products are the most aesthetically pleasing products out there. All im saying is this, all you PC users.. you got it all wrong! Mac is the way to go. After all, "There's an APP for that!"

Check out the article on the most expensive APP out there!

http://www.switched.com/2010/01/20/1-000-iphone-app-for-lawyers-becomes-most-expensive-app/?icid=main|main|dl7|link6|http%3A%2F%2Fwww.switched.com%2F2010%2F01%2F20%2F1-000-iphone-app-for-lawyers-becomes-most-expensive-app%2F

Techno Trends

I just had my first class, and must say i am exited for the upcoming semester. Techno Trends is really going to teach me new things-considering i am not up to date with all the new technological trends because i don't understand them, it'll be great to learn the different things that are now available to us. In class this week, we had to set up a Twitter account which i am not all to crazy about but I'll give it a whirl. Another thing I am really exited about is the one minute film contest. When this was announced my interest was even more peaked and I can't wait to actually start on it. It really is going to be a challenge but i am really looking forward to it. In general I am exited about learning about how far we have come and where we are going. We are growing and moving at such a fast rate its almost daunting to think about. Technology is here to stay and is only going to continue growing-might as well get with the times! All in all, I think it is going to be a great class that I really am going to benefit from and learn a ton of new things.

Videogames as a Medium

Video games are finally breaking thru as an artistic medium. It seems like video games have been around for a short time, but in fact, video games have been around for 40 years and have been a commercial medium for 30 years. It wasn't until the 1970s that video gaming had any sort of affect on our culture as a whole. Since the game needs input from the player for it to function, i think that's one of the biggest reasons video gaming is becoming an artistic medium, despite what it is-it still makes you think. There are many differences between video gaming and film, in film everything is done by the filmmaker and no input is required by the audience. Video gaming at times leaves some windows open and has unanswered questions while film usually wraps everything up in a nice little bow and leaves nothing unanswered. Film and video games became financially successful in its first decade of existance. Alone, video gaming has opened a form of entertainment that still needs to be examined and analyzed as much as film has.

Hyperidentities....MMORPGS....

I am not a fan of MMORPGS, Massively multiplayer online role playing games. But through this article I learned much about them. There is this whole universe where the avatar exists, usually people who play this game have more than one avatar they can pick and choose from, I thought it was always the same character. You then name your avatar, if you do not have a name in mind the game assists you in picking out a name. MMORPGS are and have been getting huge, and they seem to last for ages. Often times MMORPG players are referred to as users not players because of the fact that it is almost impossible to end the game. One thing I read in the article that I found very interesting was the Mechanism of Transference. basically, it is when a person transfers their emotions unconsciously to the avatar itself. Once thinking about it, i realized that people do do this, if they don't feel human the create a night elf, if they don't feel male or female they create a quite androgynous character. I think another way video gaming is becoming more like art is because more we are feeling and getting so emotionally involved in the game that we are actually transferring out feelings into out characters into the game, obviously it is easy to do that in film-but this proves video gaming is getting closer and closer to be considered art.