Monthly Archives: October 2011

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Mac VS PC; Which will it be?

Some people claim that PCs are superior while others will exclaim that Macs are the cream of the crop. Can they both be right? No, but is one better than the other? Nope. It’s all a matter of personal preference.

A lot of people grew up with PCs. When they came across a Mac, everything was new and confusing for them, almost always causing them not to like Macs. This is a lot of the times the reason why PC users don’t like Macs. Of course, a lot of them won’t admit this, but they same exact things go for a lot of Mac users as well. They’ve grown up with Macs and aren’t used to PCs and find them difficult to use, therefore inferior.

I’ve grown up with both. They are both good in their own ways and fall short in others. It really depends what you use your computer for. For hardcore gaming and business work, a PC might fit your needs better. For designers and students, Macs could work better for you.

I like Macs better, and here’s why…

  • A more intuitive and less buggy user interface. Sometimes Windows will screw up on me or just take a long time to do something. Macs tend not to do this. It’s just… smooth.
  • Better integration between hardware and software. Both the hardware and software are made by the same company, allowing for a unity that just isn’t available with Windows computers.
  • Programs. GarageBand, iMovie, and iPhoto aren’t available on Windows computers. I actually use those programs.
  • There are other reasons, but they are slipping my mind right now.

What do you use and why?

 

 

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New competition

Every so often, a new competitor will emerge in your market with something better than what you have and will steal business from you. Sometimes it may be the new ice cream shop down the road, sometimes it may be Google. Whatever it is, you’re loosing business because of it. So, what are you going to do?

What you shouldn’t do is nothing. The situation won’t get any better if you leave it alone. You need to take action for the sake of your business.

There are a few things you can do:

  1. New marketing techniques. Think of some new, creative way to market to potential customers that the competitors haven’t taken full advantage of yet. Come up with a creative marketing campaign that would take the focus away from your competitors. Be creative.
  2. New Products. Come out with something that is better/cooler than your competition. Find something that would set you apart from your competition; offer something your competitors don’t offer.
  3. Niche Markets. If the new competition is especially fierce, than you can resort to niche markets. Find a niche within your market and focus on catering to that.
These are only a few ways to deal with new competition. I’m sure there are more, but this is a good starting place. Good luck!
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Is TV bad for you?

People love to watch TV. It’s a great way to wind down after work/school or on a lazy Saturday. Some people have questioned whether it is unhealthy to watch TV, and with good reason. After all, staring at an flat, illuminated device pumping out noise couldn’t be good for you… or maybe it isn’t that bad. Let’s discuss and find a conclusion!

Why is TV bad?

First off, it’s physically not good for you. You are sitting on a couch and watching a screen that might be emitting radiation and frying your brain. Although some mothers say, “Stop watching that dang TV, it’s frying your brain,” or something of the sort, they usually are talking about the content you are watching. But, that statement partially holds true on a physical level. As described in the link above, some screens have the tendency to emit possible dangerous radiation. I’m sure no one wants that.

Also, some may argue that the stuff people watch on TV is figuratively rotting their brains. Shows like “Jersey Shore” and “Family Guy” inadvertently teach people bad lessons of morality and social conduct. For this exact reason, it is especially important for children not to watch these types of shows.

Why is TV not so bad after all?

If taken in moderation, TV is a great way to wind down. Also, TV time might also be quality family time for some. Not to mention that there is no shortage of educational TV programs out there. TV is also a good source for news and exercise shows.

Conclusion

TV can be both good and bad, depending on how it is used. If you watch it too much and you watch crap, than the effects most likely won’t be one that is desired… and vise versa. So, TV is only bad for you if you use it in a certain way (the same can be said for most things).

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Natural Disasters, Percentages, and Life

If you watch The Science Channel too much, you will become depressed. It’s a simple fact of life.

Why do I say this? Killer volcanoes, killer wales, killer lakes, killer meteors, etc. Everything kills. There are so many ways for the natural world to turn on us. This would upset the normal soul, but, for some reason, it doesn’t upset me at all. In fact, I find it really cool… and it’s partially the reason why I love to watch The Science Channel. I have no idea why I like watching outlandish disaster scenarios that will probably never happen within my lifetime, but they are entertaining.

Besides the entertainment factor, they do put life in perspective. You could die at any moment; your life is dispensable. The thing is, though, the chance of a giant meteor hitting the earth during your lifetime is very small. It’s safe to say that it will never happen to you. But, there are so many random ways that you could die. All these percentage add up until it becomes more threatening.

It is kind of depressing, but it is a fact of life. Live life to it’s fullest and keep in mind that every day could be your last.

P.S. Yes, killer lakes do exist.

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Are smart phones making us stupid?

No, they are not. Smart phones aren’t making us any smarter either. Here’s why:

Smart phones are meant to expedite every day tasks. They make you faster, not smarter or more stupid. For example, smart phones–by their design–autocorrect your words. Although it does eliminate careless spelling mistakes, it doesn’t take away the need to spell correctly. It just makes typing faster and more efficient.

Some argue that these smart phones allow us to read more than we would have without them. And they are right; access to magazines, newspapers, books, blogs, and websites are at our fingertips. I read a recent statistic (where I read it has slipped my mind) stating that teens and young adults are reading 3 times as much as the previous generation is.

Others will argue that smart phones are taking away time from more productive activities. In essence, this is true, but smart phones are designed to HELP in doing tasks faster so you have more time to do productive activities.

What I’m basically getting at is smart phones aren’t making you any smarter or stupider… if used correctly. They aren’t meant to be attached to you 24/7. They are designed as a helping tool and should be used as so.

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Adult generalization; I hate it

A pet peeve of mine is when adults, typically middle aged + people, stereotype and generalize teenagers. They, a lot of the times, think that all teens don’t listen to their parents, don’t obey the rules, don’t make good decisions, etc. Most of the time, these generalizations are not true. People my age (with the exception of listen to their parents) are better than most of our parents. We might not have the experience, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t make educated decisions… and since we are in school, our minds are mentally more active than someone who does the same thing day after day.

What bothers me the most is when some older people will not only submissively push their authority on us, but will claim that they are superior. Just because your older doesn’t mean you’re smarter than me. Sure, I’ll listen to you and do what you tell me to do, but don’t say “I’m older than you, and I’m therefore smarter than you” or “I’m older than you, and I therefore have more common sense than you”. It might be true sometimes, but what’s the point of saying that. What are you trying to prove? When will I realize that I’m figuratively yelling at my blog?!

P.S. I am not referring to my parents.

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What is hipster?

Recently, I have heard/seen some claims from people that believe that hipster is too mainstream. I think we need a refresher of what exactly “hipster” is, and what being one means.

Hipster is NOT liking certain bands, wearing certain things, doing certain things and having certain hobbies. It is doing what is not the norm. Knowing this, it is impossible for Hipster to be mainstream. Hipsterism is relative.

No one really knows what Hipster means because it means everything that isn’t mainstream. Hipster is more of an umbrella term than anything else as there are many different categories of Hipsters, but I won’t go into this. No one can really say what it means to be Hipster or what you have to do to be one. This may sound like a bunch of BS, but it really is something that you have to be… a little like genetics, for lack of a better explanation. The life of a hipster is as follows:

  1. You find something you and a few friends like
  2. It becomes mainstream and not cool anymore
  3. Repeat steps 1 and 2
This is the reason why Hipster is relative and cannot ever be mainstream. I hope this brings some form of enlightenment to the subject; and as always, those of you whose opinion differs/is similar to from mine, feel free to comment.
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iPhone 4S: Disappointment or Improvement?

It seems that a lot of people were disappointed upon the announcement of the iPhone 4S. Most people believed it would be more of an iPhone 5 and not an iPhone 4S, meaning most people thought it would be a total rethink of the iPhone and not just an improvement. I thought it was kind of obvious that if Apple announced iOS 5 a few months back than this wouldn’t be a big update. Also, there was an iPhone 3G and 3GS, so it only makes sense to have an iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S. A lot of people still thought that Apple was going to release a radical update despite the undeniable evidence pointing in the other direction.

Therefore, I cannot understand why people would bash the iPhone 4S because their foolish expectations weren’t lived up to. Stop complaining. If you (an ambiguous “you”) don’t like what they made, then make your own iPhone. They don’t control you. If you don’t like it, don’t buy it! But please, don’t complain about it.

Moreover, this iPhone 4S has been cleverly dubbed as the iPhone “For Steve”. Although it is clever, I highly doubt that it was intentional. It is most likely a coincidence, but who knows, Apple could have changed the name from “iPhone 5″ to “iPhone 4S” for this exact meaning. We will never know, unless they release some sort of statement about it.

That’s all I have to say about the iPhone 4S. If you disagree/agree with something I said or you have a general comment, feel free to leave a comment. Also, will you be getting an iPhone 4S when it is released? I know my dad will; I might even be able to post a video of “Siri” first-hand… but no guarantees.

EDIT: I understand that my opinion might be somewhat unclear just from reading the above post, so for clarity, I think that the iPhone 4S is an improvement and not a disappointment. I think Apple did a great job with it and I can’t wait until it is released.

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Lettuce

Yes, this is in fact a blog post about lettuce. Why? Well… why not?

I’ve done my research, and as it turns out, Lettuce is awesome. There are 5 types of lettuce: leaf (also called loose-leaf lettuce), cos or romaine, crisphead, butterhead and stem (also called asparagus lettuce). (courtesy of illinois.edu)

Iceberg lettuce (crisphead), commonly found in grocery stores and served in high school cafeterias, is not very nutritious. Some people like to believe that they are eating healthy when they get a “salad” with iceburg lettuce and tons of cheese and chicken and dressing, but they are only fooling themselves. Romaine lettuce has much more value to it’s calories, having multitudes more protein, fiber, vitamin A and C, and other nutrients. It does taste slightly more sour than iceburg lettuce does, but other agents in the salad that would weaken the sourness (I.E. dressing). If you are ever choosing lettuce for your salad, consider this: the taste of the lettuce is usually taken over by the dressing. So, you might as well go with the healthier variety; Romaine. There are other good, nutritious lettuce varieties out there, but this is my favorite and it’s widely available.

Dark green lettuce, like Romaine, is full of nutrients that help your body function. In a good salad, that bitterness will not even phase you as the rest of the salad has somehow counteracted it. In a way, salad-making is an ancient balance of taste sensations that has been carefully perfected, but is new combinations come out daily. I would not be surprised if there were college majors in salad-making. So, my point is that you should think long and hard (and crispy, and dark green) about your lettuce choices. And remember, lettuce is awesome.

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The end of an era; the Steve Jobs era

Today, one of the greatest geniuses to ever grace the world, is no more. It deeply pains me to write this, but Steve Jobs, as confirmed by Apple, is no longer with us. Steve Jobs seemed to have inserted a special form of magic into every one of Apple’s products that made them special. I grew up with that magic, that magic sparked my interest in technology, that magic played a huge role in who I am today. Steve Jobs has single-handedly made an enormous impact on my life. I felt as if he was a part of me, and now that that part of me has seemed to have vanished, I am left in an utter state of confusion and disbelief. I am sure many tens of thousands of people feel the same way that I do. Eventually, together, the Apple geeks of the world will pull through. It won’t be easy, but it will be done.

As a tribute to Steve, I will share my experiences with the company up until this point. I honestly wish I could share more than this, but I have homework to do.

My mom worked for Apple for 14 years (EDIT:4 years, but she worked in a mac-centric shop for 9 more years) and she raised me on Macs. I bought my first mac, a Mac Mini, in 2006 (I was in 5th grade). It took me almost a full year to save up all my birthday and allowance money, and even though it took time, I really really wanted the Mac. By that point, I have researched all the technical specs of all the whole Macintosh line and knew them in and out. I could have taught the employees a few things (in fact, I think I did when I went in to buy it), and I was in 5th grade. When I finally got it, I was the happiest kid on earth. This was my first experience buying a computer. Along with this shiny new Mac Mini came my love for technology, a love that I will pursue in college and beyond.

When the iPod Touch first came out, I was one of the first to have it. Over the years, I have lost, bought and found many iPods. As of right now, I own an iPod Nano (won it), an iPod Touch (found it, I lost it previously), and an iPhone 4. Honestly, I would be lost without these.

So all in all, I have 5 Apple products (I also have a 1998 lime green iMac) in my possession, and I am proud to own a part of Steve’s brain children. May you rest in peace, Steve.

P.S. This post has been created on a Mac Mini