New Mac Laptop??

Have you heard the latest Mac rumor? A new laptop that is slimmer than the Macbook Pro and much faster, better, and all around cooler is supposedly in the works. I have been scanning the internet for blog posts and articles about this latest rumor because I am currently looking for a new computer. Apple has so many great products to choose from I just cant decide! But be on the lookout for a new and improved laptop from Apple.

iPhone makes cover of Times Magazine

Fellow Times Magazine readers probably noticed this month's front cover model: the Apple iPhone.

Yes, Times named the iPhone the #1 Invention of the Year. I was ecstatic to see this, as I am a Mac lover and desperately want the iPhone for myself. Times lists five main points about the pros of this phone:

1.) It is pretty
2.) It is touchy-feely
3.) It will make other phones better
4.) It's not a phone, it's a platform
5.) It is by the Ghost of iPhones to come

For those of you who may have an iPhone or know someone that does, please feel free to comment on whether you agree with Times or not. I am interested to see what the main consumer complaints are other than its too big, too slow, hard to type on, etc.

Second Life on The Office!

Hello fellow classmates,

As I am sure all of you know already, The Office is a huge prime time cable television show on NBC and this past week it decided to incorporate Second Life into their show. I am in the Second Life class with Dr. Shamp this year and was pretty excited to see that my New Media class work is featured on one of my favorite shows. Dwight has an avatar in Second Life that looks exactly like him and he basically plays it all day at the office. It's a pretty funny episode that I suggest you all watch. New Media on prime time!

Here is a link for a story about it on Digg
http://www.informationweek.com/blog/main/archives/2007/10/the_offices_dwi.html

PSSA Aids Project

This week I am going to talk about a project that I am a part of and very excited about! With the help of New Media, students from the University are going to fly to Philadelphia to help promote Aids awareness. Student teams will be equipped with mobile video and wireless technology and will roam the streets for video footage. We will each follow around fellow aids patients and see how they live their daily lives. Each team will have a remote producer who could be anywhere in the world, and the producer will have one day to complete the Public Service Announcement with the footage that each team member captures.

I think this is a great project that really highlights how New Media can help invent new ways of producing messages that encourage young people to get tested for HIV.

Apple Saves the Day

Today you can be the proud owner of Apple's newly released iTunes 7.4.2. Good news....Right? Well, this new iTunes version has eliminated the small problem where people "accidentally" installed custom ringtones on their iPhones and other systems.

And that is not all they fixed. No, we are in luck. For those who have purchased a new iTouch, Apple has solved the problem so that you cannot accidentally install custom software on your new device. Pheew. That was a close one Apple.

Has Apple entered the Looney Bin or have we? I feel the walls caving in....

Second Life in Australia- as Appropriate for Today

The virtual world, Second Life, has famously produced at least one millionaire, but it may take some time for Australian businesses that venture into the new digital universe to realise a return on their efforts.

The population of Second Life has grown to five million since its launch in 2003. The environment shot to prominence last year when it was announced that Second Life resident Anshe Chung had made the equivalent of $US1 million from virtual property development.

According to David Holloway, who operates a news service for Australian Second Life residents, nearly 5000 of the residents are from Australia. Many Australians undertake in-world commerce, such as operating bars and clubs and managing a surf beach.

Second Life has attracted the attention of large Australian corporations keen to learn from the virtual environment, including Telstra, the ABC and the web technology company Hyro.

Australian entrepreneur Luke Connell has taken a more immersive approach to his activity within Second Life, launching a virtual stock trading system for Second Life-based companies, called the World Stock Exchange. Connell only became a member of Second Life in December after hearing about Anshe Chung's success in property development.

"In the first 25 days the World Stock Exchange has had more than $US200,000 in volume on the market, which is huge," Connell says. "That means Hope Capital made 3 per cent on that -- more than enough money to cover my wages."

I remember when Second Life first came out, and I am already astounded at its impact and popularity. I found this article in an Australian News source, and the impact became even more evident. The World Wide Web really does allow people from all over the world to interact. I think it is even more amazing that Luke Connell established a Stock Market in Second Life! In an alternate life, we could all be millionaires!

Earthlink Takes Houston

"The Wi-Fi mesh network will provide affordable, high-speed Internet access for residents of and visitors to Houston. It will also enable municipal employees to work in the field without having to return to an office to use traditional landlines to complete their tasks.

Houston's 600-square-mile service area will make this Wi-Fi deployment the largest in North America."

I personally think Earthlink is heading in the right direction here. Wi-Fi citywide is an emerging trend that I feel every city should incorporate. New Media can really hit the ground running with new innovative ideas with the help of Wi-FI all over a city. This will open up new oppurtunities for us as New Media students, and I am excited to enter the "job" force with Wi-Fi as such a big growing trend that is actually catching on to the general public.