With minimum wage hikes under debate around the country, New York has become the first state to approve a $15 minimum wage for fast-food workers, the highest in country. As The Wall Street Journal reports, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced the move at a labor rally with Vice President Joe Biden while proposing to work for legislation that will make $15 a minimum wage across all industries.… [Read more]
How Does Touch ID Really Work?
Newer Apple devices like the iPhone 5S and the iPhone 6 allow users to unlock the Home screen with a fingerprint instead of a passcode. Those unfamiliar with the new Touch ID technology may wonder how it works and how secure it really is. What happens if your fingerprint won’t read? How likely is the sensor to break?… [Read more]
Is Technology Ruining Our Relationships?
Banksy, a notorious and admired urban graffiti artist, created a mural in Bristol, U.K. that shows two people, presumably a couple, hugging and looking at their respective cellphones over each other’s shoulders.
The mural has the world talking. The mysterious artist isn’t known for vandalism but rather social commentary—art that becomes political discussion. And this unsolicited public artwork asks: “Is social media making us antisocial?”… [Read more]
Smartphones and Journalism: The Future Is Mobile
When you think of what a smartphone can do for a journalist, you probably think of a voice recorder that will record thoughts and audio interviews, a built-in video cam that can record live events and a high-resolution camera that can take photos on the run. However, there are many more smartphone tools that journalists use today that are indispensable.… [Read more]
What Is Shaping Our Cell Phone Design?
Consumer usage of social media and other applications has shaped smartphone development in many ways. A recent report by Nielsen shows that Americans spend about 29 percent of their total smartphone usage on social media and about 18 percent of their time playing games. Phone manufacturers have quickly adapted their designs to accommodate the demands of modern consumers.… [Read more]
Virtual Citizenship
So Facebook has come out with a phone…or at least Facebook Home that can be downloaded on select Android phones. Or you can buy the HTC First for AT&T.
Or you can just not get the phone like the rest of us.
This past week I got into a conversation about the phone and Home on Facebook (the irony is not lost on me).… [Read more]
3D Printing: Fabricating a New World
A young lady holds up her favorite writing pen she likes to use. It is a black ink pen with a plastic body, a metal spring component, and a rubber sleeve next to the tip for finger comfort. She looks at the pen, and decides that she wants another just like it, so she locates the manufacturing code issued to this pen and enters it into a field box on her smartphone.… [Read more]