All Devices Aboard!

We’ve all experienced frustration when the flight attendant comes by and says that we must “stow” our portable electronic devices for the duration of our flight, but just recently, the FAA has changed the regulations on what and when electronic devices can be used. No, not all devices will be able to be used, such as cell phones to make a phone call, but e-readers, Bluetooth accessories, and wifi enabled devices may be used throughout the flight. This change in regulation does not excuse passengers from listening to the pre-flight safety briefing and or from storing their devices during take-odd and landing, but to does allow them to use any device as long as it is in “airplane mode.” If your airline offers in-flight wifi services, you may use it at your leisure on your laptop, cell phone, or tablet. The new regulations are able to be enacted right away, but it is up to the airline as to when they will enforce them. While internet connections may be offered on some airplanes, they will be prohibited below 10,000 ft.

Written by: Tamara Carter Dolphin Tech LLC.

Sources: http://www.foxnews.com/tech/2013/10/31/faa-oks-air-passengers-using-gadgets-on-planes/ 

Google Makes Handwriting Cool Again

Google is always on the move, creating new technologies. Their most recent advancement is seemingly taking a step back. Let me explain.

Instead of having to type out a message, Google has now given users the ability to write out their messages with a mouse pad or cursor in Google or Google docs. This seems like it would be more difficult and time consuming, but Google reps say its may be more convenient for the writing of foreign languages.

When you write out a word with your cursor, it will create a typed version of your word. If illegible or unintelligible, it will give you a list of possible words. If your word was "cat," it may come up with a list like: cats, rats, Cats, oats, and carts. This feature is similar to that of an iPhone and its auto correct option.  

You don’t even have to have the perfect handwriting. It, for the most part, does a decent job of decoding less-than-perfect, cursive writing.

"Handwriting input makes the internet easier to use by people worldwide and is also part of a larger effort to break the barrier between languages," said Google's Xiangye Xia in a blog post announcing the feature.

This tool is available in 50 languages for Gmail and 20 for Google docs. If you’d like to test it out, you can go to Gmail or Docs settings and click on language settings under general. Click "show all language options" and select enable input tools. You will get a list of every keyboard made available to you by Google. If there is a pencil icon beside them, those are the languages that support the new tool. Google already has an option that you can write something on the screen that it will then proceed to translate.

Do you think this could be a help or a hindrance when conquering the language barrier?

Sources: http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/23/tech/innovation/google-handwriting-support/index.html
Author: Tamara Carter Dolphin Tech LLC.

Technology? The Kids Aren't Impressed

You would think that that teenagers are the most avid technology supporters and users but a survey by the Intel Innovation Barometer disproves that theory. In their study, they surveyed 12,000 adults from Brazil, China, France, India, Indonesia, Japan, and the United States and found that 61 % of 18-24 year olds believe that it is making people less human. This same age group, however, believes that technology may be the key to solving many global issues. This study showed that its actually older, middle-aged women who are technology’s biggest fans.

Dr. Genevieve Bell, anthropologist and director at Intel Labs, says that the reason that young adults believe that society has become too reliant on technology is due to the fact that they think it is too burdensome and would like to to do more for them. Thirty-six percent of this age group want technology to better anticipate their needs. Bell gathered that teen’s willingness to share data and information is in hope that it will help to improve future experiences.

On the flip side, this study showed that women over 45 believe that technology makes people more human by deepening their relationships. Surprisingly enough, women in less developed countries think that we need to use technology more. Historically, women have been avid users of technology because it streamlines life, so to speak, with the different platforms to create schedules and reminders, and to keep us connected.

Something that both age groups can agree on is the positive roles that technology can potentially play in the future of education, transportation, and healthcare.

Would you agree with the findings of this study?

Written by: Tamara Carter Dolphin Tech LLC.
Sources: NY Daily News http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/youth-turn-backs-technology-article-1.1489729

The Psychology of Color in Web Design

When designing websites, it may not seem particularly important to choose the color scheme, but it has been scientifically proven that colors have a psychological effect that can induce different emotions in viewers. Different colors can evoke feelings of trust, urgency, or mystery.

Red is stimulating and exciting. It can be associated with feelings of passion, power, and even anger. Red suggests warning and danger or determination and strength.

Pink is universally representative of femininity. It is used on sites geared towards women to produce feelings of youthfulness and innocence.

Orange is comforting and inviting. It isn’t as overwhelming as red, but it is still vibrant and exciting. Orange is unique and it great for showcasing creativity.

Yellow is associated with the sun and provokes feelings or warmth and happiness. It is the most energizing color and grabs the attention of the viewers, especially children.  

Green is the color of nature. It is calming, rejuvenating, and optimistic. Green is positively associated with affluence and growth.

Blue, often called “true blue,” and is representative of the effect it has in producing feelings of trust and security. It is also associated with spirituality. The calming quality of blue will suggest experience and reliability to website viewers.

Purple is maybe the most specific when it comes to reaching particular people and evoking certain feelings. Dark purple is commonly associated with nobility, luxury, and wealth.  Lighter shades are a harbinger to spring, which is mentally associated with romance.

Black, White, and Gray are usually used together to make a clean, modern, and sophisticated website design. Colors are able to stand out, making it easier to highlight certain points of interest on your site.When using either black, white, or gray, it is important to implement them in a way that will still produce energy on your site

Color should not be chosen based on personal preference. It can play into the effectiveness and overall success of your website and the ends you are trying to achieve. Experienced web designers will be able to create a website that will utilize color to maximize the potential of your website!

Is the iPhone worth 3 times its production cost?

This week in technology is all about the new iPhones, 5S and 5C. Apple had their biggest iPhone launch to date, selling over 9 million of their new models. Most people consider iPhone to be the superior mobile device, but how superior is it? And is its superiority worth charging 2 to 3 times the phones production worth?

The new apple iPhone 5S features a 64-bit apps processor and a fingerprint identification sensor. Apple has also made marked improvements to all iPhones with the new IOS 7. The 16 giga-byte iPhone 5S production costs are roughly $198 but its retail price is set at $649. The little brother to the 5S, the 5C, costs about $180 to produce and is sold at full retail price for $549. There is only an $18 dollar difference in the costs of production, but the 5S is selling for $100 more.

Apple made the decision to release two different phones to reach to two different consumers. The 5C, developed to target lower income per capita countries, comes in five different vibrant colors and is made of plastic. The new 5S, for the more elite Apple customers, looks similar to the iPhone 5 but is now sold in an attractive gold color.

With these new developments, apple has decided to stop the production of the iPhone 5 in effort to narrow their market.

So far, the idea of offering two different phones seems to be working for Apple. 

Written by : Tamara Carter, Dolphin Tech LLC.

References: http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/iphone-5s-cost-make-199-iphone-5c-173-8C11256386

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The Fall of the Printed Book

In world where technology seems to advance from day to day, it should be of no surprise that traditional, paper books are seemingly phasing out. With the dawn of the “e-reader,” or better known kindle and nook devices, we can access virtually any book and download it entirely, in a matter of minutes. That’s great, right? It’s convenient…much more so than having to check books out at the library or buy them at the nearest bookstore but it has not been embraced by all.

  

As an “actual book enthusiast,” I have resisted the urge to switch to the kindle app on my tablet. Many of my fellow enthusiasts would agree with me on the fact that there’s nothing better than holding a book, smelling its pages, and feeling the parchment as you read the gripping,final pages of that thriller novel. It’s as much a sensory experience as it is intellectual and stimulatory. Books transcend time, they remind us of places, and take us to other worlds. So what’s the big deal? You can still experience these sentiments when reading an e-book, can’t you? Some have embraced the new way to read while others continue to resist the change and stay true to “actual” books.  I do fear that in ten or twenty years, libraries will only exist to rent e-books(which they’ve already begun doing) and bookstores will be more like hangouts, full of comfy chairs with bunches of people staring at their respective screens.

Switching to E-books can be a matter of preference, but it won’t do much for your pocket books. Popular e-book providers(kindle, iPad, nook) do offer thousands of titles at no charge, but the majority of the time, e-books cost the same as their printed companions. So, have you chosen to embrace tradition by sticking with printed books, or are you a techy that loves to download everything imaginable to your personal reading device?

Reference: e-books-vs-print-book-the-struggle-between-old-and-new-technology

Julia Brown: Columnist

Written by: Tamara Carter Dolphin Tech, LLC

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Facebook. Is It Bad For You?

Facebook was once considered a great tool to stay in touch, share memories, and connect with new people...Now, not so much. In a recent study published by the Public Library of Science, it was shown that those that spend more time on Facebook are less satisfied with their own lives.

This study, conducted by Dr. Ethan Kross and Dr. Philippe Verduyn was the first to follow Facebook users for an extended period. The researchers  recruited eighty-two twenty somethings for their study. The volunteers agreed to have their Facebook activity monitored for two weeks and to then report five times a day on their mental and emotional state. After analyzing the results, the researchers found that the volunteers were less satisfied with their lives after each of the five times they filled out a short questionnaire. Researchers also found that those who used the site less frequently were generally more content.

The most common emotions reported in the study were envy, isolation and depression. Overall, the study showed that the excessive use of Facebook did cause dissatisfaction, but partly because "Facebookers" tend to over exaggerate their winning qualities, so as to look happy and successful to their potential profile viewers. This is undoubtedly what causes the Facebook frequenters to become envious.

What do you think? Have you ever experienced jealousy from being on Facebook? Is Facebook still a positive, enjoyable part of your life?


Reference:http://www.economist.com/news/science-and-technology/21583593-using-social-network-seems-make-people-more-miserable-get-life

Written by: Tamara Carter: Dolphin Tech LLC