The Evolution of the iPhone

Last night, I found myself binge watching the TV show Who Do You Think You Are. The show tracks the journey of celebrities who are trying to discover more about their roots and family tree. It got me thinking about how everything has a family tree, not just people. Foods, items, and technologies all have a detailed history behind them. Just like in the TV show, a sort of genealogy is traceable for any given item. I’d like to do some sleuthing of my own, for the product we all know and love: The iPhone.  Where did it really come from, and who made the world’s most recognizable smartphone possible? We’ll start at the very beginning, before the birth of Apple as a company. While there is endless amounts of information on the evolution of Apple as a company, I will only be including the information relevant to the iPhone and how it became the product it is today.

Steve Jobs did not create the iPhone (or Apple) by himself. He joined forces with friends Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne to create Apple on April 1, 1976. Jobs and Wozniak were electronics enthusiasts who initially met in high school. They started Apple after Wozniak created a computer that had the ability to connect with a TV screen as a monitor, and had its own keyboard. Jobs was convinced they would be able to sell the personal computing device to the public, and thus Apple was created. They decided to choose the name Apple because it was “fun, spirited, and not intimidating“ according to Jobs. He was in a fruitarian diet phase and had just returned from an Apple orchard!

Wozniak and Jobs had a third cofounder, Ronald Wayne. Wayne was much older and wealthier and held 10% of the company while Jobs and Wozniak each held 45%. However, Wayne had more personal assets at stake and was nervous about the new startup. He sold his portion of the company back to Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak for just $800. From that point on, Wozniak and Jobs began to focus on growing their startup and expanding the product line. They created an even better version of the Apple I computer which was appropriately named Apple II in 1977. Seven years and many computer models later, the first Macintosh (Mac) was released. This was the ancestor of our iMacs and MacBooks. So, what brought the iPhone?

In order to figure out what exactly brought the iPhone to us, we need to look at its components. As we know, the iPhone is known for being a multipurpose smart device. It can make phone calls, take pictures, access the internet, and play music. Knowing this, we can deduct that Steve Jobs created the iPhone with multiple ancestors. Smartphones are actually handheld computers, so the development of the Apple I is a part of its history. The camera component was borrowed from the iPod Touch, and the music aspect from the iPod Touch’s ancestor, the iPod (and Shuffle). The iPod Nano was a transitional product from the iPod Shuffle and other iPods into the iPod Touch, and then iPhone, which all had screens. Not only did the iPhone utilize all of these components in its first release in 2007, but it began to evolve even more into the “swiss army knife” of phones.

Steve Jobs said this about the why the iPhone was so necessary:

We all had cellphones. We just hated them, they were so awful to use. The software was terrible. The hardware wasn't very good. We talked to our friends, and they all hated their cellphones too. Everybody seemed to hate their phones. And we saw that these things really could become much more powerful and interesting to license. It's a huge market. I mean a billion phones get shipped every year, and that's almost an order of magnitude greater than the number of music players. It's four times the number of PCs that ship every year.

Incredibly, he seized both the opportunity for a groundbreaking device and the market for it. Soon, iPhones were a nationwide hit. In the same interview, Jobs noted: 

It was a great challenge. Let's make a great phone that we fall in love with. And we've got the technology. We've got the miniaturization from the iPod. We've got the sophisticated operating system from Mac. Nobody had ever thought about putting operating systems as sophisticated as OS X inside a phone, so that was a real question. We had a big debate inside the company whether we could do that or not. And that was one where I had to adjudicate it and just say, 'We're going to do it. Let's try.' The smartest software guys were saying they can do it, so let's give them a shot. And they did.

In 2008, the iPhone 3G introduced 3G technology so that users could access the internet without a wifi connection. Soon after, the iPhone 3GS, 4, and 4S came out. These devices came with a sleeker design, voice control features, and a second, forward facing camera for Facetime. Continuing on, the iPhone 5, 5c, and 5S are almost indistinguishable from the newest iPhone models. They are still being used around the world, and utilize the lightning cable instead of the older, 8 pin charging cable. The 5S was the first device to have fingerprint scanning technology embedded into the home button of the device.

Finally, this brings us to the iPhone 6, iPhone SE, and iPhone 7 (with their respective plus versions). Again, these devices look nearly identical from the outside and mostly have internal hardware differences. The main features remain the same, while they continue to use the new lightning cable for charging. One major difference is that the headphone jack was removed on the iPhone 7, and it also is splash/waterproof. A new iPhone is expected to come out at the end of 2017, and rumors of a completely redesigned iPhone 8 are beginning to pop up. Here is just one video showcasing some of the rumors for new and upcoming iPhones:

Based on the history of the iPhone, would you say their innovative period is over or just beginning? With the tragic loss of Steve Jobs, Apple may never be the same innovators they once were, but one thing is for sure; the iPhone is here to stay.

Shark Week: Discovery Channel is Getting Eaten Alive over Phelps Flop

One week that I look forward to every year is Shark Week. Something about watching these giant creatures lurk in the waters makes me glad that I'm safe on a couch and have never seen one out in the wild. This year The Discovery Channel did something a little different to attract viewers. They created the following video, claiming that Michael Phelps would race against a shark to see who is fastest.

The race that was aired, however, left a lot to be desired. Spoiler alert: Michael Phelps does not race next to a real shark. Discovery Channel used a CGI, Computer Generated Image, to "race" next to Phelps in the video. 

Thousands of people angrily tweeted about the event, saying that they felt misled and lied to. So far, The Discovery Channel has not responded to the backlash over this poor kickoff to Shark Week. How do you feel about this promotion? Do you think it was false advertising, or was it obvious that he would never be in a side-by-side race with a shark? 

7 Easy Online Tools To Help Your Idea Become a Business

Have you ever wished you could turn your great idea into a business? Or, have you ever seen a product for sale that you swore you "invented" years ago? What a frustrating feeling! But starting a business can be difficult.  Worrying about funding issues, shipping difficulties, or even just getting the word out can all prevent someone from turning their idea into a business. Thankfully, there are so many great tools to make the process of starting a business much easier. These tools are sure to have you up and running in no time! 

1. KICKSTARTER-  Kickstarter is a crowd-funding website which allows anybody to create a campaign to fund their idea. Friends, family or even strangers can pledge money to your campaign if they think your idea is worth pursuing! So far, over $3.2 billion has been pledged to Kickstarter campaigns. Kickstarter is "all or nothing" style funding, meaning that you only earn the money if your fundraising goal is met. Otherwise, those who pledged money are not charged. Any project is welcomed on Kickstarter, so don't be afraid to try it out! 

2. CUSTOM INK  Custom Ink is a perfect tool for those who have a T shirt design or would like to create clothes for a sports team, school, event.  In high school, my swim team created custom shirts for our big championship game to raise money for the team! Once you choose a piece of clothing to design for ( shirt, jacket, sweatpants, etc.) you can use Custom Ink's design lab to create a professional looking design. After that, you can order your clothes in 3 different ways. There are different options depending on whether you would like to buy in bulk or for a specific group of people. 

3. ETSY  Etsy is an online marketplace for unique and handmade goods. If you need a platform to sell your hand embroidered shirts or friendship bracelets, Etsy is the place for you! There are close to 30 million registered buyers on Etsy, bringing massive exposure to your small business. As a matter of fact, you can even purchase materials for your business from other Etsy sellers, such as wedding invitations or clothing brand labels. Shoppers can easily use their credit card to purchase from your Etsy store at any time. 

4. FIVERR  The concept of Fiverr is simple: What would you do for $5? Filling in the blank is the first step to listing your service online. Some people offer translation services, a small jingle for your product, or even a testimonial for just the price of a cup of coffee. Similar to Etsy, this is a great tool for selling or for purchasing something for your business (such as a logo, website, or even a business plan). When I was in high school, I used to advertise for companies using Fiverr. I would send them content for their advertising, such as a pumpkin with their logo carved into it for a Halloween flyer. The 5$ gigs add up quickly, and can be transferred directly into a PayPal account! 

5. QUIRKY Quirky is for aspiring inventors. If your idea isn't 100% foolproof yet, Quirky can help you get there by crowd sourcing advice. Sketch artists, designers, and lawyers all can contribute to your idea for a small cut of future earnings. Quirky's team selects the best ideas and gets them into real stores. This is ideal for people who would like to be less involved in the nitty gritty of business and would rather simply collect a check for their contribution. 

6.  POSHMARK  Picture Poshmark as the internet's second-hand store. If you always dreamed of having a vintage shop (or of clearing out your closet), then Poshmark can help. Just take pictures of your clothes, describe it, and name your price. Just like that, your product has been listed to "your closet".  Shoppers can purchase at full price or make an offer on your clothes. The best part about Poshmark is that they will email you a prepaid 2-day shipping label to send out your item. They do take a small percentage of each sale, but in my experience, it is worth it for the convenience!  

7. SQUARE READER  On the topic of clearing out your extra items, Square is a great tool for any business from garage sales to small coffee shops. Square Reader is a free credit card reading device that attaches to your iPhone, iPad or Android phone. Just open the secure mobile payment app Square on your phone, and you are ready to accept all major credit cards at your business. Shoppers can even add a tip and get an email receipt from the app.  If you live in NYC, you may notice that many boutiques and shops like ChaCha Matcha use Square to accept payments. 

Have you used any of these tools before in business? If not, I would love to hear which of them you would like to try! 

A Trip to the Samsung Flagship "Store" That Doesn't Sell Anything

Over the weekend, I was walking around the Meatpacking District in NYC.  It was a rather gloomy day for July, and I was wishing that I could be transported somewhere else that had better weather (Hawaii, anyone?). That is when I discovered one of the most interactive "stores" in NYC that doesn't sell anything: The Samsung flagship store. 

I pushed the semi-tinted doors open to find a world of technology inside. The first floor was filled with different virtual reality stations, all for the public to use and enjoy. At first, I thought you had to buy tickets or pay to play these games, but an employee told me something shocking. None of these products were actually available for purchase in the store! They were all simply for demonstration purposes and to educate the public. Since virtual reality is still relatively new to the consumer market, Samsung created this tech playground for people to get more comfortable with using virtual reality goggles for entertainment and education. 

The first station that I went to was a zombie apocalypse game.  I sat down, and a friendly Samsung employee put goggles over my head first, and then headphones on my ears. Finally, she handed me a controller which would become my zombie-killing weapon. I have to say, even though I have tried virtual reality games before, I was still scared out of my mind! The demo lasted for about 5 minutes, and then I was onto the next. 

I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw what looked like an entire roller coaster inside of Samsung. Just like the real thing, you get secured into the seat and motors shake you to simulate falls and acceleration. I got a kick out of this demo because I could still hear the screams of fellow passengers even with my VR headphones on! 

The last station that I went to in the Samsung Flagship store was a surfing game. They had two realistic surfboards up on a platform, with large fans pointing towards them. This time I just watched in awe. A couple, standing side-by-side on surfboards, was laughing and screaming with delight. It seemed like they really found a way to transport away from this gloomy NYC day and go surfing in Hawaii! 

Here is what was going on inside their virtual reality goggles: 

By the time I left the Samsung store, nearly two hours had flown by! I couldn't believe that I spent so long in a store that had nothing for me to buy. All in all, it was a great adventure to turn my gloomy day around. I would definitely recommend visiting the Samsung Flagship store at 837 Washington Street if you are looking for something to do in NYC! 

  

Five Quick and Easy Ways To Save Your iPhone Battery

You already left for the day. You drove to work blasting Despacito on your phone and used Bluetooth to call your best friend about dinner plans later. The only problem is that it's only 9 am and your phone battery is already draining so quickly! Fortunately, there are some secret "hacks" to keep your battery lasting all day long. Feel free to use the box icon to expand the powerpoint, and use the escape (ESC) button on your keyboard to exit fullscreen mode.



Hopefully some of these tips will come in handy, please let me know if they did! Many of you know that I still prefer to carry an external battery and have the peace of mind, but these tips will surely get you out of a tight situation if you need your battery to last as long as possible!

Technology in The Classroom

I remember being in one of the last classes to learn cursive at my elementary school. Now that typed documents and smartphones are the new standard, the curriculum in school is changing to keep up with the world. 

I am from Connecticut, where CREC (Capitol Region Education Council) magnet schools are well known for preparing students for a global society with the best technological resources. You can read more about CREC schools on their website, http://www.crecschools.org/.  I had the pleasure of doing a phone interview with Josephine DiPietro Smith, principal of the Reggio Magnet School of the Arts. We talked about how her school combines technology with education in the classroom.  Here are some of the highlights of the interview! 

How often do students interact with technology on a daily basis? 

Our curriculum requires our students to have technology time every day. We have incorporated some new learning systems into their daily reader's block or free time.  Such programs include Splash Math learning games, Raz Kids, a reading program, Red Bird, an enrichment program, and typing.com for typing proficiency. 

Do educators also use technology?

Educators use a program called Mile Post. Mile Post is our data recording system for tracking progress and posting teacher's goals for students and following the progress. This allows all educators to have access to a students' records. It is especially helpful for the interventionists to quickly find relevant data on a particular student. Teachers also have a SMARTBoard in every classroom, which is an interactive, touch screen projector. 

Could you tell me more about the SMART Board? How does it fit into the daily lessons in the classroom?

All of the daily lessons are taught using the SMART board. The lesson is projected onto the SMART board via a laptop or computer.  The touch screen board allows educators to move through the lesson presentation with ease. Once the lesson is complete, teachers allow students to come up to the board and perform the lesson exercises.  It is also a wonderful entertainment tool. For example, we can use it to present movies on special occasions or dance and fitness videos when we have indoor recess due to inclement weather. 

Are there any downsides to having technology in the classroom? Do students ever get distracted? 

Although we have internet restrictions in place, students will occasionally attempt to visit a website that is not authorized. On a very rare occasion, a website may slip through the firewall,
and thus we have multiple layers of systems in place to closely monitor student activity. Students who have their own iPhones or other devices must keep them inside their backpack during the day.

It's amazing to see the different ways that Mrs. Di Pietro Smith's school incorporates technology. It is no wonder that the Reggio Magnet School of the Arts was named a school of distinction for the 7th year in a row and was invited to participate in the Google Expedition program. Undoubtedly, her students will be well prepared for a future involving technology!

Do yourself a favor! How to Back up your iPhone

We all know someone who has been through it; losing all their precious phone data. Irreplaceable memories, phone contacts, and more all lost because their phone data was not backed up. Backing up your iPhone is like having insurance just in case an accident happens. If you do end up with a broken phone, at least you can minimize the damage by having a copy of your iPhone backed up to the computer. That way when you get a new phone, all of your preferences, photos, and contacts can be uploaded back onto the device! Here is how you can easily back up your iPhone using iTunes.

Here are some things you will need:

• your iPhone
• an iPhone cable
• a computer with iTunes

If you do not have iTunes on your computer, you can download it here.

1. Open iTunes on your computer. You should be already logged into your Apple account.
2. Plug your iPhone cable into your computer, and into your iPhone.  Make sure that your iPhone is already on and unlocked if you have a passcode on your phone.
3. If you get a pop up asking whether or not to trust the computer, select "trust". This will allow your computer to access your iPhone and its information.
4. When your iPhone pops up on iTunes, it means the computer recognizes you have plugged in the device.
5. Select your device and make sure you are in the Summary tab.
6. Scroll down and select "this computer" and then "back up now".
7. Wait for your device to complete the backup process.

Here is a helpful video to guide you through the process. Please note that the video talks about extra things like encryption, which are not necessary to make a back up of your device. You can safely skip these steps.

Congratulations, your backup is complete! You now have safely stored a copy of your iPhone to your computer using iTunes. If you ever need to use this backup, plug in your new device and select "restore from backup". From there, you will be able to select the most recent backup and upload it to your device.

Debate: Should Children Have Access To Technology?

On a previous blog post, I wrote about how even young toddlers are using technology. Some of my readers were skeptical about whether or not this was true. As a millennial born in the 90's I grew up with a computer, television, and gaming console. However, I was not constantly connected to these items since they mostly were large and stationary.  Nowadays, we have smartphones which transform from a gaming console to a T.V with the tap of a button. 


Instead of going outside to play, kids are entertained by apps like Netflix on mobile devices.  According to The Guardian, "Children today spend half the time their parents did playing outside".  Furthermore, they own and have constant access to these portable devices at a much younger age than previous generations.  

My dad got his first cell phone at age 20. By the time I was 12, I already had my first phone. Granted it only had four numbers, which dialed preset numbers, but it was a phone nonetheless.  Today, children as young as 5 years old have likely already interacted with a smartphone or tablet. 

Although it may mean that kids are spending less time outside, there are also some benefits to allowing technology access and ownership at a young age. Take a look at 4 year old Roman, who saved his mother's life by unlocking her iPhone and calling 911 using Siri.  If Roman did not know how to unlock the phone with her fingerprint and use Siri, his mother may not have survived.

Do you think children should have access to smart devices?

Should young children have access to technology?

Yes

No

survey maker

 If so, what age is appropriate for them to have their own device? 

What age should a child get their first phone at?

Before their 5th birthday

Between 5 and 10 years old

Between 11 and 14 years old

After their 15th birthday

Free survey

I look forward to seeing your comments on this controversial topic. 

Prime Day and The Concept of FOMO

Today is Amazon Prime day. On Prime day, hundreds of items are deeply discounted for a limited amount of time, and while supplies last. I was reading about the best deals on a blog called The Geek Spot, and found some bittersweet information. The good news is that the best Prime Day sales are on tech products! The bad? Those are just about the only good deals on Prime Day.






Valerie, the author of The Geek Spot, noted that Prime Day only has a handful of good deals. In her first sentence, you can get a sense of her humorous yet jaded opinion. She says, "Today is Prime Day, an artificial sale date created by Amazon to get you to spend more money on things you probably don't need."

I definitely agree with Valerie that Prime Day is playing psychological games on the consumer. With so many competitors online, it makes sense that Amazon would create hype about one (not-so) special day to attract more consumers. It is the same reason that I drag my mom out at 4 am the day after Thanksgiving: FOMO.






FOMO, or the fear of missing out, is often the driving force behind these big sale days. When people hear that Amazon (or anyone for that matter) is having an amazing sale they want to take advantage of it. Whether that means driving to the mall at 3am on Black Friday or visiting Amazon.com just because it is July 11th, FOMO is getting people into the store. As a matter of fact, some of my friends created a Prime account just to have access to the Prime Day sales!





Did you buy anything during Prime day, and do you believe in FOMO?

A Small Update

I went back to Wikipedia's Instagram page, because I was curious to see if my edits were still there. My edits pertained to the use of Boomerangs within the Instagram app. I rephrased a section of the Wikipedia page and submitted it for review, which I discussed in an earlier blog post.

 Unfortunately, only certain individuals are allowed to edit the Instagram page. As noted by the grey-colored block in the right-hand corner, this article is semi protected. This means that you can not simply edit the article and see an instant update. 

Here is an example of what a protected article icon looks like. 

According to Wikipedia, certain requirements must be met to edit the article. You need to have already edited ten Wiki pages successfully and have a registered IP address to have access to this page. Since Instagram is a frequently visited page, they have these protections in place to prevent the spread of false information and vandalism.

Since my Wikipedia account does not fulfill these requirements, my edits to the article were not published. Instead, they were sent to the "talk page" where qualified users can see suggestions before they go live.  To learn more about protected Wikipedia articles, you can visit the Wikipedia Protection Policy page.   Hopefully one day my edits will be approved! 

Get a Better Night's Sleep, Even without an iPhone

In one of my previous posts, I discussed some pointers on how to have a healthy relationship with technology. One of those tips was to make use of night mode on your phone. While iPhone and Android users have this feature built in, many devices do not. If you use your laptop or a different brand of smartphone, you can still install a night mode for your phone.

One of my favorite night mode applications for my Mac is called Flux. Flux is free and runs entirely off of donations (similar to Wikipedia). They even have a page dedicated to research on the effect of colors on sleep, which you can read here.

Artificial Intelligence

I recently came across an old website that I used to visit frequently. It is called Cleverbot, and it is an artificial intelligence chat robot. As more people talk to Cleverbot, it will get smarter and learn how to have more in depth conversations. Interestingly enough, the Cleverbot page still has to be littered with warnings about it being only a robot. This is because it has learned to convince people it is a real person, and can even take on a personality, make typos, or start fights.

Microsoft used to have their own artificial intelligence (AI) bot named Tay. However, people took advantage of her and taught her to say racist, homophobic, and sexist things. Text messaging service Groupme has their own bot named Zo, created after Tay. However, Zo will get angry at the user and storm off the chat if anything inappropriate is said to her.

AI chatbots are incredible in their ability to mimic and learn, but they still have a long way to go before they can truly replace people.

Scamalot

Scam emails are not new. Even when postal mail was in its peak, junk mail and scam letters made their way into the mailboxes of millions. Today, we have scam emails and a special folder dedicated to spam. James Veitch from Mashable decided that he finally had enough of these scammers contacting him. He decided to start replying back and trolling them until they regretted the decision to ever contact him in the first place.

After having a few hilarious interactions, James Veitch decided to start a web series highlighting the funniest email conversations with the scammers.  

James and his Scamalot series have earned over 5 million views already. I wish I had thought of the idea as a web series first! Have you ever replied to a scammer the way that he does? If you’ve had any scammer experiences, I’d love to hear about them in the comments.