PS4

Gamers' world was shaken by the released of the new PS4. 

The new PS4 has been greatly compared to Xbox One. 

No doubt, both are peculiar on it's own. 

As for me, I am more of a PS4 person as I have the whole collection of Sony's Playstations which include PS2,PS3 and PSP. 

What I like about the PS4 is it has a sleek design because of its angular shape and two-halve design.

Besides that, the PS4 has powerful consoles. 

The console itself is built around computer processing and graphics processing units custom-built by Advanced Micro Devices Inc. Sony says the PlayStation 4 has 10 times the processing power of the PS3. That should translate into higher screen resolution (up to 1080p) and faster frame rates (up to 60 frames per second), meaning more detailed environments, more realistic lighting, smoother animation and huge online multiplayer matches, according to First Post Technology. 

Personally, I think a good gaming experience is influenced by good graphics. I believe Sony has improvised the graphic for PS4. According to First Post Technology, Killzone,” from Sony’s Amsterdam-based Guerrilla Games studio, shows off the new technology most impressively. Purely from a game-play perspective, it’s a fairly generic first-person shooter, with humans battling the dictatorial alien Helghast for control of a divided planet. But wow, is it beautiful, from its vast, breathtaking landscapes to the finely tooled details of individual firearms.

Chromecast

According to Janko Roettgers of Gigaom, Chromecast is a $35 streaming dongle that plugs into your TV’s HDMI port. You can use it to stream online videos from YouTube, Netflix and elsewhere, and use your computer, mobile phone or tablet as a remote control. It doesn’t have any kind of separate app store or user interface on your TV. Basically, everything gets controlled from the PC or mobile device.

As a consumer who uses HDMI cable to connect my PC to the television when watching Netflix, I think Chromecast is a great invention. Because my HDMI cable is short, I often have to walk to the screen where to control the movie I am watching. With Chromecast, which is remote free, I can control the movie I watch in the palm of my hands. I can save the trouble walking back and forth to my computer. The absence of the HDMI cable also will make my house look tidier, rather than having cables intertwined with each other. Also, I think the the absence of cable also helps prevent accidents from tripping over cables. Family with small kids should consider replacing their HDMI cable with Chromecast. In my opinion, Chromecast is selling at an affordable price for only $35. 

MoJo - Mobile Journalism.

What is Mobile Journalism?

According to KGW, Mobile Journalism has two meanings, one is as news-gathering technique by our reporters; the other, as a news and growing news platform for audience to get their news on the go, via our mobile news apps.

Mobile Journalism is encouraged, and taught to student journalist. So, why MoJo is on the rise? In this contemporary era, the majority has gadgets such as smartphones and tablets. These gadgets increase mobility in receiving information causing audience to demand up-to-the-minute news. According to BBC reporter, Nick Garnett, the distinct advantages of MoJo are flexibility, speedy turnaround, mobility and affordability. 

I was given an opportunity to go on the field, and report using smartphone. In my opinion, I like the convenience of reporting with a smartphone without having to transfer pictures to my computer. I like the convenience of reporting using only one tool, which means it saves the hassle of carrying huge cameras and camera stand. However, reporting on smartphone was a little odd for me as I am used to writing and uploading pictures using computer. Also, typing on the phone was not as smooth as doing it on the computer. Not to mention, the screen on the phone was a lot smaller which made typing a lot slower. To me, I felt there was no flow reporting using the smartphone. Regardless, I believe with practice, I am able to report using my smartphone efficiently. 

An evening with Brian Stelter.

On Tuesday at 7 p.m., Brian Stelter, gave a talk in Gannet Hall, University of Missouri-Columbia.
Brian Stelter is currently a media reporter for The New York Times. Also, this year, New York Times best-selling book known "Top of The Morning" was published by Brian Stelter. The boo is about the morning television rivalry between the "Today" show and "Good Morning America".

In the talk, Stelter emphasized on doing what you love. As for him, he started a website name "Nintendojo" when he was younger. Later, during his 2nd semester in college, he started "TVNEWSER", a blog covering the television news, something he was passionate about. "TVNEWSER" started as a hobby then it became a job because it received high hits. What made "TVNEWSER" unique was the website has a few peculiar features that other news outlets do no have. One of them is the Anonymous Box. This box allows to comment anything whether if its news ideas or complains. According to Stelter, the box eventually became a tool for his news story as the readers were generating materials for the blog. Besides the Anonymous Box, the website has a Scoreboard where it displays hourly ratings for news shows. When Brian Stelter was a senior,  The New York Times called because his website was beating them on stories. The New York Times offers to hire him when he graduates.

I have learned from Stelter that the 21st century publications are limitless in comparison to the past. In order to get something to be published, all u need is the Internet connection. This has made me realized how technology has contributed to the distribution of news. Besides that, another important thing that I learned from Brian Stelter is digital identity. So, what is digital identity? It means sharing your identity on the Internet such as sharing what you produced Google and Facebook. Having a digital identity also means you have done a variety of things because your identity is shown on Google search. Moreover, digital identity can also be personal such as sharing photos on what you are doing. By doing that, you are showing the audience you are human too.

I have also learned that journalism is going every direction. It can be shorter or longer news stories, some are predictable and some are creative. In my opinion, there isn't any fixed scheme for journalism as long as news is produced accurately and truthfully. In addition, I learned from Brian Stelter that my generation are people that are more comfortable with the Web, which I could not agree more. It made me realized that promoting my work on the Web is encouraged as people are getting tech-savvy. Brian Stelter made me realized that Twitter is also a form of news, and it is not weird to communicate with audience via Twitter. This is because more people are getting more comfortable with the Web. Not to mention, Twitter gives journalist more freedom as it can be published without editors. Because people are getting tech-savvy, the use of tablets are increasing which contributes to the demand of news wherever and whenever. Brian Stelter said, "Mobile means more news."

Another interesting knowledge that I have gained from Brian Stelter is the quantity of your work is more important than quality. This is because quantity will make audience to notice you. Brian Stelter also emphasized on getting your audience first. He told us that our goal is not to get a job at The New York Times but to get your audience. Having audience is the first step because eventually, doors will be open when you have people noticing your work. Besides quantity vs. quality, I learned that I should not be shy in promoting myself and my work. I should not be afraid to publish my traffic score because this proves that I have audience. Eventually, audience will attract more audience in viewing and noticing my work. One last tip Stelter gave was we should explore and try on things that we are passionate about. "It is better to fail than not try," Stelter emphasized.

The Soul for Black Culture Awareness Week.

In the United States, 19.4 percent of African-American adults are current smokers.  

In relation to the statistic, an event known as Black Culture Awareness Week 2013: The Soul was held at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2013, in the Black Culture Center of University of Missouri-Columbia. 

In the event, University of Missouri - Columbia's Wellness Resource Center's representative gave a talk on how the tobacco industry target minorities, especially African-Americans. 

The talk was conducted by Ryan Manganelli, 21, the co-president of the Wellness Resource Center. In his presentation he talked about stress, and how it drives to the use of tobacco and alcohol. 

In the presentation, statistics on African-American using alcohol and tobacco was presented. Manganelli said 15.5 percent of African- American women are current smokers. 

Ryan Manganelli presenting on how stress affect the use of tobacco on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2013 in Black Culture Center of University of Missouri-Columbia.

Elizabeth Brown, 20,  a junior in University of Missouri-Columbia, was one of the many who were present for the event. She was at the front row, and was curious on the approach of countering smoking among African-Americans.

"I was interested to find out  the techniques used to approach the minorities on the use of tobacco," Brown said.

Elizabeth Brown, 20, was present for Black Culture Awareness Week 2013: The Soul to find out how they approach minorities on the use of tobacco. Taken on Tuesday, Nov 5, 2013 in Black Culture Center of University of Missouri-Columbia.

The event has attracted many African-American students, and has provided informational knowledge on the use of tobacco.

Chipotle Halloween Promotion

Chipotle Mexican Grill celebrates Halloween by having a $3.00 promotional discount for all customers. Burritos or not, all menu items are $3.00. The promotion definitely attracted many customers to the famous chain Mexican restaurant. In Chipotle, the traffic was busy and a long line can be seen.

A long line can be seen in Chipotle in downtown of Columbia on Thursday, Oct. 31, 2013. 

Bridget Tracy, 19, of Chicago said the promotion is doing a good way in promoting the restaurant. 

Bridget Tracy, 19, of Chicago, is one of the many customers who visited Chipotle for the promotion on Thursday, Oct. 31, 2013

Why Diversity and Journalism Service Matter?

On Tuesday, at 3.30 p.m., Gregory H. Lee Jr. gave a talk in Smith Forum, Reynolds Journalism Institute. Lee is a sports editor at Boston Globe and the co-director of Sports Journalism Institute (SJI). He is also the president of the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ).

In the talk, Lee elaborated on the disparities in newsroom and hiring practices. According to Lee, major papers usually hire eight white males and one female on average. Also, there was a news outlet (unnamed) once hired 17 employees with no African American. Lee mentioned that employer should be aware of their hiring practices. From the talk, I learned that employers should reach out, and should not linger in their comfort zones when comes to hiring people. Employers should explore and hire variety of employees with different background as it will definitely benefit the news outlet. Besides that, I learned that it is important to have diversity in newsroom so that someone could point out and give opinions if a news story reflects any sort of bias. One example was when Aaliyah, a R&B singer passed away and Payne Stewart, an American professional golfer, died on the same day. Payne Stewart's death was on the front page, however, Aaliyah's death was published at the back of the newspaper. This happened because no one in the newsroom knew who Aaliyah was as they were mainly whites. If the newsroom had employees who were African Americans, they might have known who Aaliyah was, and bias in news reporting would not had happened.

A double standard in newsroom is the minorities journalists were expected to know everything while the whites do not have to know everything else. Lee talked about his past experience when he was expected to know about The Beatles, famous English rock band in 60s. However, the white journalists were spared from having to know things that were out of their comfort zones. One good illustration was the story about Aaliyah's death. From this information, I have learned that regardless of your race, all journalists should educate themselves with knowledge about various cultures and people around the world. This can be done by learning about Black history, Asian studies and other studies that help to expand one's knowledge about cultures. As journalists, we should not be ignorant of other's cultures and lifestyles.

In comparison to the past, the diversity in the newsrooms is gradually improving. In 1993, there were no African American sports editor in news outlets. However, this year, Nadia Crow became the first African American anchorwoman in Utah. In my opinion, the society is starting to realize the inequality of news reporting, thus, creating an awareness on the demand of minorities journalists. Also, many African Americans and other minorities are starting to stand up for the disparities in the journalism industry. That's why for the past few years, we see the emerging of associations such as National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ), Asian American Journalist Association and Native American Journalists Associations (NAJA). All these associations help aspiring journalists who are minorities to achieve their ambitions, and to overcome disparities in newsrooms.

Wearable Tech Invention

With inventions of smartwatches by Android and Apple's iWatch coming out, wearables are predicted to be the next big thing in tech era. 

Not falling behind of Androids and Apple, Google has recently announced that their latest wearable invention known as Google Glass is on its way.

So, what is Google Glass?
According to CNN,  Google Glass can be worn like regular glasses. It has a high-resolution display and allows wearers use voice commands to shoot photos or videos and access features like e-mail, text messaging, Google Maps, Google search and a handful of other apps. There were also rumors that the users are able to insert prescription lenses into it because many users who have tried wearing both Glass and eyeglasses have called it awkward. 

However, the groundbreaking Google Glass is said to face social and cultural issue. According to Omaha's website,  Google Glass have raised concerns of people who don't want to be surreptitiously videoed or photographed.

Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/2013/10/24/5275403/tech-expert-says-wearable-computers.html#storylink=cpy

Also, many tech experts are not too optimistic of Google Glass.  In an article by Barry Shlachter, David Pogues, a tech expert said Google Glass will not be well-received on next year. Pogue predicted the device will be banned in courtrooms, banks, lockers rooms  and a few more private places.

Also, Sarah Griffiths from Daily Mail U.K., wrote that Google Glass users could be dealing with expensive data bills due to huge strain they place on the Internet, experts commented. One of the reason is because Google Glass connects to the Internet by linking to the web via a mobile phone or tablet's data plan. An American tech expert, Brian Fung predicts Google Glass will burden internet infrastructure, forcing mobile companies to build capacity. He believes the invention of wearable tech will affect the current way tethering is used and paid for, because of huge need for data.

In my opinion as a consumer, I think Google Glass is a groundbreaking wearable tech invention. However, I am not positive about wearable techs. After all, it's a computer that we will be wearing. I think humans are growing dependency towards technology. Indeed, we live in a tech era, but I think wearing computers is crossing the line of being human. I think it will largely affect humans' interaction and humans capabilities of performing without computers. Not to mention, we are still uncertain if the device has any side affects towards humans' health. I believe wearable techs will evolve but in a span of lengthy period.

BBM for Android and iOS

The once popular Blackberry Messenger is now available for Android and iOS.
I remember about 3 years ago, Blackberry was the "thing" and people my age who had Blackberry was considered "cool" until Android and iOS were growing intensely. Few days ago when I found out that iOS will have a BBM app, I was excited. It gave me flashback when I was a hardcore Blackberry user. Scanning bar codes and getting "PING" were the norms for Blackberry users.
One advantage about BBM is the person do not need to provide contact number in order to add someone. If a stranger were to add you on BBM, you do not need to worry if he or she will be able to contact you through contact number as BBM users add each other through pin codes or scanning bar codes. I thought that this feature was an advantage, especially for girls.

After finding out support iOS is able to support BBM, I downloaded the app instantly. I realized there were changes for the app. To view contacts, you can either choose the contact to be viewed as grid or list. I thought the grid option was pretty cool. Another new feature on this BBM app is you are able to send voice not to friends, which my old Blackberry did not have. Overall, as a consumer, I am contented on Blackberry's decision to disseminate into the iOS and Android market. I think apps like Whatsapp and WeChat will be greatly affected by Blackberry's decision to provide an app for the Androids and iOS users. Chatting on BBM is pretty astonishing for me now as it brings back old memories. However, it'd be never the same as I am typing on touch-screen instead Qwerty keypad. To think of it, I miss the feeling of typing on Blackberry's Qwerty keypad.