Nixie has decided it is going to release a drone that attaches to your wrist. There is a camera attached so you can take pictures without holding a device in your hand. The Nixie is similair to an Air Dog, but the only difference is that it is more compact. You can take amazing pictures of yourself without anyone’s help. You can wear it on your wrist, or you can let it hover and follow you. The release date hasn’t been stated yet, but you can sign up to be notified.
Stakeholders-
1. Nixie (+) It is a cool idea and will probably gain a lot of publicity
2. Picture takers (+) People who take a lot of photos can take really cool shots to post in social media
3. Selfie Stick Sellers (-) People may like it less now that something new has come out
4. Other Competitors(-) Anyone who had this idea is at a disadvantage because Nixie will most likely come out first
Personal Opinion-
I think this is cooler and more innovative than the selfie stick. The fact that it hovers around is interesting and it can be really useful. Now you can take pictures of a group easily, or you can record yourself doing something. I really want this. I found out about through a YouTube video.
Questions-
Would you buy this? Why or why not?
Do you think it will be successful?
Do you have a selfie stick? How does the Nixie compare?
Avid is a company that sells software that deals with video and audio editing. Their products are pro-level and have even been used by Michael Buble, and for the Hunger Games. This company is well known and has received two Oscars, one Grammy, and fourteen Emmys. Their audio products range from $200-$2,500. They are releasing free editing software that anyone can use in the near future. This software is said to be great for beginners, but it won’t have all the features of the other versions. If you wish to be informed of the release, you can sign up for notifications.
Stakeholders-
1. Avid(+) More people may find out about their software and end up buying them.
2. Competitors(-) People may put their focus on Avid because a free version is coming out.
3.Consumers(+) This free version gives people a chance to play around and test the software. Now there is a free option.
Personal Opinion-
I have actually never heard of this company but their software looks cool. It may help people who can’t afford to pay
1. This is a portable printer that is very small in size. Despite its appearance, this printer can print on any size of paper. You can print from any device via WiFi.
2. It is created by ZUtAlabs
3. Business people, students and maybe even teachers would benefit from this.
4. This will be a successful product if the ink isn’t really expensive.
Product 2- Polaroid Zip Instant
1. This is a mobile photo printer that you can take anywhere. You can develop pictures instantly through Bluetooth or NFC. The cool thing is that the printer doesn’t require any ink at all. THe film has crystals that are activated to form a picture.
2. It is created by Polaroid.
3. This would be popular among teenagers and travelers.
4. Expensive film is a problem with Fuji products, if this company can use cheaper film, they will get a lot of customers.
product 3- Belty
1. This is an electronic belt that adjusts depending on your position and how much you ate.
2. The creator is Emiota.
3. Anyone who wears belts regularly would like this.
4. If it has a nice look and fit, people will like it.
Personal Opinion-
I think these products are really cool. They are the type that make you wonder “Why didn’t I think of that?”
K-pop is a genre of music that has taken the world by surprise. Many are attracted to the catchy beats, interesting videos, and almost perfect looking singers. Another plus to K-pop is that there’s something for everyone. There some masculinity, femininity, immaturity and everything in-between.
Girl band SNSD
Boy-band BTS
Recently there has been a lot of controversy recently in the K-pop world. Many artists are revealing the harsh conditions that they are facing. Before even being able to debut as a singer, many artists have to train for many years and have to spend almost all their time at a training center. A sixteen year old singer Lee Hi revealed what it was like during her trainee years.
Part of her story states:
“My body is tired. I want to eat but I can’t so I cried again. I want to be pretty for my stages so I go to the gym to exercise again. But exercising is really tough. There was once when I could not hear in my ear suddenly, when I was in the hospital, the doctor said its sudden deaf. As I always exercise without eating, I fell sick.”
Lee Hi
You would think that once they become singers that they would have an easier time, but it is quite the opposite. This year alone there have been four bigger incidents incidents, three of which are from the same company, SM Entertainment. SM is an entertainment rumored to issue slave contracts that last for many years ( sometimes 13) and have many restrictions. There has been many incidents in the past with SM Entertainment. SM lost three members of TVXQ(aka DBSK) in 2010. The three members joined another company and are now called JYJ. Also, a former member of Super Junior filed a lawsuit saying that his contract was unfair and lasted too long. Whether or not SM is the only company that gives out these contracts is a bit hard to say, but most of the blame is directed towards them.
Exo, In order from top left to bottom right- Sehun, Lay, Chanyeol, Xiumin, D.O, Suho, Kai, Baekhyun, Chen, Luhan, Toa, Kris
This year there were also three incidents in SM. The first happened near the beginning of the year when Kris from EXO filed a lawsuit. ” According to several reports, Kris’s side has cited that the idol is being treated as if he is an object rather than being respected as an artist. They also mention that SM one-sidedly decided on the schedules, not giving thought to Kris’ opinion or his health condition.” Kris is originally from Vancouver, but he became a trainee at SM in 2007. He currently is fulfilling his activities in China.
Another member of EXO filed a lawsuit later in the year. Luhan apparently gave SM a date to sort out its issues, but once an agreement wasn’t made, he filed a lawsuit. Both Luhan and Kris are from EXO-M the mandarin branch of the band. There are speculation that the Chinese members are being treated worse than the Korean members. It is hard to say as the company released statements with very little insight.
A member of Girls Generation has left the band. Jessica wanted to pursue her career in fashion design, but she wasn’t allowed to be a singer at the same time. The company and other band members criticized her for leaving and even called her selfish. She has not done any activities affiliated with SM Entertainment since.
The incident that hit fans by surprise the most was B.A.P filing a lawsuit against their company. Before that day, B.A.P hadn’t revealed any statements or hints that they were being treated unfairly. Their company(TS Entertainment) was taking advantage of them and paying them poorly. In the three years they have been a band, each member has only been paid $16,000 USD. That averages to around $400 a month per member. A major factor of the lawsuit is the fact that the company was charging expenses to their account and not explaining how large sums of money were being used. The huge credit was making it hard for the band to pay off their debt to their company. After subtracting money that they owe, they still have to pay the company. The ratio of pay for B.A.P:TS Ent was 4:6. B.A.P joined
Blaming one or two companies isn’t something that can be done. There are a lot of faults in many businesses, and some are yet to be released. To find out how harsh life can be read an article about the struggles Busker Busker faced. This a three member band consisting of two students and their Caucasian teacher.
Despite all the things that happen behind the scenes, you can see the effort put into the videos. Sometimes they don’t leave the set for 2 -3 days, or until all the scenes are properly filmed.
Stakeholders-
SM Entertainment- After the Luhan and Jessica incident alone, the stock for SM dropped 19% and 22% in total.
EXO- Having to promote as ten instead of twelve may have made it difficult to use old choreography. Those who were close with the old members may not get to see them as much. The members that left are both receiving criticism and praise. Fans are all different and so are their reactions.
SNSD- Some hate is being channeled towards Girls Generation for not supporting Jessica following her dreams. Whether or not this affects their sales i can’t say.
TS Entertainment- After B.A.P released the statement about their conditions, I can’t see TS Entertainment having great stocks. Releasing a new girl group may increase their view count, but it won’t be enough to replace the fan-base B.A.P had.
B.A.P-
Other Korean music companies- YG Entertainment (my favorite) increased in stock and finally surpassed SM Entertainment. Also, more attention is currently being paid on other companies like Starship, JYP, Cube and of course YG.
Busker Busker- After their problems Busker Busker was able to receive a seemingly reasonable contract. After that failed I believe they were finally able to settle.
Superstar K- Having their secrets exposed may ruin the public’s image of the show.
Fans- Fans may feel shock or it may affect their views. All this news could affect their favorite band and/or company.
Merchandise Suppliers- The things that need to be ordered may change in quantity.
People who know fans- They will have to listen to fans rant about all the problems going on.
Korean Economy- The amount received by the government may change as different companies increase and decrease in value.
Personal Opinion-
I am pained to learn that people are being treated this way. It is crazy that they are/were able to keep it all in. These companies need to rethink their actions or it could cause an uprising. My current opinion is like the people, and hope they are being treated fairly. Many people are hoping for artists to leave bad companies and do what makes them happy. Id rather see their smiles than some of the sickly faces SM is marketing.
Jonghyun ( under SM Entertainment)Taemin ( Under SM Entertainment)
Questions-
What are your opinions on how stars are formed in Korea?
Have you heard of K-pop before? How and what did you see/hear?
How would you react if your favorite artist was being treated this way?
What is your opinion of K-Pop (besides the corruption)?
The most amazing thing of 2014 would be meeting my little nephew. My sister (actually my cousin) visited from Edmonton and brought her son Yunis along. Even though at 8 AM he’ll wake and start ‘talking’ at the top of his lungs, it’s still so cute. All the dirty diapers, cries, laughs and everything in between are irreplaceable to me. Seeing him smile is what kept me laughing it off everyday.
My nephew Yunis
Another thing I learned appreciate is family. My brothers and step-mother have been away in Seattle for around a month now. Being away from them has made me realize how much I need them. All this cooking, cleaning, laundry, dishes and quiet has made me want them to come back. The house has been so empty and quiet without them.
I am grateful having such a kind and generous grandfather. No matter what it is, he always wants the best for me. For him time, energy and money are things he will easily spend on me. Without him, I don’t know what I would be doing right now.
I am grateful for the opportunities I have had this year. .Unlike many people around the world, I have had a stable. I have been able to go to school everyday and further my education. Every year I get to attend a violin recital held by my violin teacher. The audience is only around 100 people, but it is still so much fun and I enjoy sharing my talents.
My recital in 2012
I am grateful for my friends. We have spent so much time together and those are moments I’ll never forget.
Goals for 2015-
1. My goal in Info Tech is to at-least get a 90%.This is important to me because I want a 4.0 GPA like I had last year.
2. I want to try harder with physical health because I am not doing well in PE class. This is important because health is a something people overlook and doing so can cause many complications.
3.I want to draw better in 2015. I haven’t been using my sketchbook recently so my skills have plummeted.
4.I want to spend my time more efficiently. I want to be more productive so I can accomplish more things
5.I want to sleep more in 2015. I have been a bit more tired lately so I should improve my sleep habits.
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.
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?
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?
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.
pm1rashida 