Journal #4- Success

Success- the favorable or prosperous termination of attempts or endeavors; the accomplishment of one’s goals. (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/success)

My definition of success changes depending on its context. A simple definition would be attaining ones dreams. The topic seems more centered around life, though. A successful life in my eyes is one where you never feel empty. A life where you live in the now, not held down by guilt, or blinded by the future. A life where you can wake up and embrace the world is one that is successful; it’s a life that is worth living.

Whatever it is you know you are successful using my criteria- Have you and/or others gained anything? Are you where you want to be? Are you better than you were before?

A time of success when something is gained are seen all the time. Money raised for charity, getting good grades, or even being fastest on your sports team.

A key question is about if you are somewhat satisfied. You haven’t become a successful anything, if in your eyes you aren’t.

Improvement is the key to success. If you can now right neatly with your opposite hand, you were successful.

When have I felt successful? It is hard to say as I am not the type of person to set many short term goals. A few times might have been:

1. When I got straight A’s

2.When I learned to read Hirigana(one of 3 Japanese scripts) and Hangul(Korean script)

3. When I learned to play violin and preformed for the school

4. Realizing how lucky I am to have such caring friends.

5. Every time I am a step closer to my goals.

I would say that the opposite of success is laziness. If you stay where you are and never improve there are only two possible outcomes. Worsening or nothing.

To be successful IT I want a grade that represents my effort. I want to strive for the best and pick up a lot of useful knowledge.

 

 

 

News article #9- Smosh releases Food Battle Game

Link- 

http://streamdaily.tv/2014/11/20/smosh-takes-food-battle-to-mobile/

http://www.insidemobileapps.com/2014/11/20/smoshs-food-battle-game-launches-ios-android/

http://www.smosh.com/smosh-pit/developer-diary/food-battle-game-here

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/smosh-food-battle-the-game

 

Summary-

 

 

Youtubers Ian and Anthony (known as Smosh) have released their video game Food Battle. Smosh is a very  popular YouTube channel and currently has a little over 19 million subscriber(people who want to be updated on their channel)The project was funded by fans through an Indiegogo campaign and raised $258,517. Indiegogo is a website similar to Kickstarter  where mainly independent companies ask for support from the online community. The game is based off an annual video they make where each individual chooses a food item and fights with it.  In the game players take the role of Anthony and must protect the village of Tickputt from mutant donuts. In the game there are various challenges, achievements and possible customizations. Anthony and Ian have been working on this project for well over a year and have been recording their progress on their website.

 

Stakeholders-

Smosh(+) Releasing a game will give them publicity and may cause people to check out their videos. Depending on how much the game costed to make, Smosh may have extra money left off.

Fans/Subscribers(+) Fans will most likely be happy about the game release. They will probably enjoy playing the game if it is good quality

Supporters(+) Depending on how much many they donated, supporters got individualized thank-you gifts.

Rival YouTubers(-) Smosh releasing a game may take rivals out of the spotlight.

 

Personal Opinion-

I was actually pretty excited when this game was announced but I slowly lost interest as the release date dragged on. I actually forgot about the game until I saw the article. I am not sure if I would download the game even though it is free.

Questions-

How will Smosh benefit from this game? What makes you think this?

Have you heard of Smosh before today?

Would you download the app?

Do you play videos as a pass-time?Why or why not?

News Article #8-Samsung and BlackBerry are teaming up

Link- http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/blackberry-inks-partnership-with-samsung-on-mobile-security/article21572254/

Summary-

At a media event in San Francisco BlackBerry publicized the fact that they were teaming up with Samsung.  The reasoning for this team-up is too improve the security of Samsung  smartphones. BlackBerry has decided to focus their company on software instead of cellphones. Some features that are to be expected are security management, an improved version of BlackBerry Messenger, and a new service called enterprise identity.

 

Stakeholders-

1.Samsung(+) People who use BlackBerry phones may decide to try out this new phone as BlackBerry will be creating the software.

2.BlackBerry(+/-) Creating only the software may take away from their image. People who use their products may switch to Samsung after viewing their other products. If this product is a success BlackBerry may receive profit.

3.Rival Companies(-) Two popular companies teaming up may take rivals like Apple away from the spotlight.

4.Smart phone users(+) This product could be a breakthrough in technology and increase phone productivity.

5. Non-users of smart phones(+) If this product makes non-users decide to buy a smartphone, they will be introduced to a whole new world of technology.

Personal Opinion- 

I most likely won’t buy this new product so I won’t be directly affected by it. Two companies coming together may be a good idea. I was once into Samsung, but I don’t really follow their advancements. My father may be interested in this idea that is being laid out, but that is all that relates to me.

Questions-

Do you prefer Samsung or BlackBerry?

Would you try and find more about this product?

Do you think two companies pairing up is a good idea?

Journal #3- Remembrance Day Assembly

            I am not too attached to the whole idea of Remembrance Day. I don’t mean that it’s a bad idea, but that it isn’t something that directly affects me so I have trouble connecting to it. I understand that many people lost their lives for freedom, but there is a difference between being told something and experiencing it. Remembrance Day does teach many lessons. It teaches about the struggle that others faced and that you have to fight for what you believe in, which in this case is freedom. It also shows us that we should thankful because many people put everything on the line to create the country we have now. The world has a lot of stuff to be grateful for. Personally I am really appreciate having friends and family. Without them I wouldn’t be the person I am today. Also, I am proud to be a Canadian. I live in a country with many opportunities, where I can get an education, where there is free health care. Why wouldn’t I love it here? Technological advancements have helped to shape society. Without electricity I wouldn’t even be able to be writing this journal, there wouldn’t  be phones, and most importantly, doctors wouldn’t have all the medicine they do. Education is something I value a lot. Without educated people, no one would have discovered all the things we have today. I don’ t know how I would be able to do all of my daily tasks without thumbs. Since many creatures don’t have thumbs, it prevents them from doing thing in a humanly manner. In elementary school we did this thing where we taped our thumbs to our hands and tried to do simple tasks. Just writing with a pencil became seemingly impossible. I am not really sure what can be done to improve the assembly, but I can say what I didn’t enjoy. Firstly, I think it would be easier to feel engaged if the assembly was done by grade. This would make us feel more comfortable, and we be closer to the speaker. I honestly didn’t see any of the assembly because I was in a secluded corner behind a barrier of grade 10 boys. Having smaller groups would also make it possible for us to do things like walk up and see the display. Another thing that I didn’t like was the display. Not only were we not given a real chance to view it, but the topic was something totally unrelated to me. I understand that they were trying to reach out to the most dominant race in Surrey, but what about everyone else? A display about Canadian history would’ve been more appropriate for the assembly.

New article #7- Watch Disney Anywhere Anywhere on Android

link- http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2471562,00.asp

 

Summary-

The Disney Movies Anywhere app is now available for download on android. The app is free and is already available for IOS. The app makes it possible for people to download movies and watch them repeatedly on the go. The app is also interchangeable between operating systems, meaning you can download it on a smartphone and later watch it on an iPad. You can also download the movies so that they are available offline, like on an airplane. There is a parental control option, and you can also download movies using a code you obtain when you buy the hard copies.

 

Stakeholders- 

1. Disney(+) People may be more interested in their movies or they might buy movies because of how easy it is.

2.Apple(+) More People will download their apps.

3.Google(+) More people download their apps.

4.Viewers(+/-) Kids will have easier access to movies, but that make it difficult for parents to prevent them from watching it too much.

 

 

Personal Opinion-

I actually have piles and piles of Disney movies so this may be a way to get some space. I probably wouldn’t watch movies that often but this may be a good idea for parents. The only problem is that this may be indirectly  promoting inactivity for kids. Technology can be a good thing, but it always has it downfalls. You never really know what will happen until it does.

 

Questions-

Do you watch Disney movies frequently?

Would you download this app?

What operating system do you use/like?

News article#6- Pay with a wristband instead of a credit card

Link-http://www.ctvnews.ca/business/mastercard-to-test-high-tech-wristbands-as-credit-card-alternatives-1.2083898

Summary-

MasterCard and a company named  Bionym have teamed up to create a product called the  Nymi Band. Bionym is a Canadian company based in Toronto. Hoping to replace credit cards, MasterCard has helped create a wristwatch that you can use to make payments, and even unlock your smartphones. You are probably wondering how this is safe. This product detects its owner through your electrocardiogram, a biological feature that is unique to you, it’s almost like a signature.  If anyone else were to try and wear it, the band wouldn’t activate. Karl Martin(Bionym CEO) said they thought about style when creating this product. “We know that fashion matters to people,” Martin said. “You can’t put out technology products to put on people’s bodies and not think about fashion.”The Nymi Band is now available for pre-order starting at $79 and the price will rise once it is in stock.

Stakeholders-

Bionym(+) If this product is a hit, the company could earn a large profit and popularity.

MasterCard(+)MasterCard may recieve more users and money. The only thing is they must be careful as this  project deals with money.

Businesses(-) Small or big businesses may struggle if they don’t keep up to date with technology and don’t accept this band.

Royal Bank of Canada(+)To pre-order you have to be an RBC member, so people may be willing to create an account, which is good for RBC.

Credit Card Users(-/+) This product could fail and result in money loss and theft, or it could become a success. The impact on society could end up being positive or negative.

Rival Companies(-) People may stop using other banks, or their tap cards and buy the Nymi Band. This could cause a plummet in  revenue for many businesses.

 

Personal Opinion-

I think this is a really cool idea that can be improved and  bettered in so many ways. I never use a card because I find it hard to keep track of your usage, but this is good for frequent users. The only thing is that because it is so easy to pay with, people may start overspending or not even remembering where they bought things. If the band is updated and their are made to have a variety of features, it could become an international product.

 

Question- 

Would you buy the Nymi Band?

Do you think this is a good product?

Do you use cards to pay for things?

What are some possible setbacks this product could end up having?