Two of my colleagues wrote articles yesterday about their very different stances regarding "Internet delusions." I suppose it's in my nature to find a diplomatic common ground, instead of choosing sides. Maybe it's because I'm the oldest of three kids, and someone's always got to be mediator. Whatever it is, I'd prefer to look at both sides of this argument through a neutral lens (as best I can), as opposed to the dreaded Millennial scope. Perhaps if we can all agree on something, we can avoid this argument erupting into a heated West Side Story feud. Although, I think Devon could pull off those dance moves perfectly. Scott, I'll have to meet you in person first.  I suggest reading their articles first before continuing! Here's Scott's and here's Devon's. Devon and I are what I like to think of as "special Millennials." Although we were young, we still lived in a time before the Internet. In fact, I remember the "Dark Ages" before the Internet. And personally, I loved them just as much as today. Of course, I was only a child; my only cares in the world were evading my vegetables and playing Wiffle Ball before dusk. But I still remember the first time I had to use Google for a school report. Oddly enough, I was heartbroken. My trips to the library were my reward, and bookshelves were my equivalent to a magic castle. They still are! I refuse to use an e-reader. LONG LIVE PRINT. So, when my teacher told us we had to use the dreaded and new Internet to research our reports on famous jazz musicians, I didn't get it. And I was pissed. Sadly, I've taken out this misdirected animosity on the subject of my second grade music report; I'm lookin' at you, Duke Ellington. But like everyone else in the digital age, I adapted. I traded in my card catalogs for a Palm Pilot, and I reveled in IR Battleship. Take that, dad! And slowly but surely, I began spending a lot of my free time on the Internet (and playing the Sims), but we don't have to go into that…Sure, there are plenty of reasons my generation makes me abandon hope in society: Teen Mom, selfies, and don't even get me started on the music. I just checked Spotify's top tracks only to find Magic!'s "Rude" as number one. That's… Continue reading Can’t we all just get along? The post Can’t we all just get along? appeared first on GadgeTell.   Beats Electronics has revealed that it is suing multiple Chinese companies involved in the production and sale of counterfeit Beats headphones. Counterfeit items are a major problem in the technology industry, and China unfortunately remains a safe haven for many counterfeiters. This lawsuit alleges that many of the counterfeiters have created websites purportedly selling genuine Beats headphones. Even though some customers may recognize that the sites are not legitimate, the counterfeiters use Beats trademarks and logos to convince others that they are really being sold Beats products. Continue reading Beats targets fake Chinese imitators with lawsuit The post Beats targets fake Chinese imitators with lawsuit appeared first on GadgeTell.  If you haven't been following, Tell has been heating up with a lively debate between myself and Oldass Scott Wikander. We're super sophisticatedly discussing the pros and cons of the Internet and whether or not technology is bad, fire is scary, and Thomas Edison was a witch. Here are the articles in chronological order: Me– Cranky Pants– Me– Cranky Pants. In my original article, I attempt to (and badassedly succeed at) debunk the assumptions that the Internet is making people stupid, dulling our creativity, and forcing the masses into the servitude of Satan's sentient grundle. Most recently, Oldass wrote that I did not, in fact, debunk his stupidity argument using true science, so I guess now I have to spend my valuable time explaining why it's science. *sigh* So, here we go. If you empirically study the mental capacity of humans you must initially separate intelligence from education, as both Oldass and I mention in our initial articles. I shared statistics that people were quantifiably more educated than ever before and Oldass shared his unfounded opinion that just because people know trivia, that doesn't make them smart. He hasn't actually researched any linear studies that measure intelligence and, regardless, whether or not people are intelligent isn't relevant since we don't know yet whether or not intelligence can be learned, Internet or no Internet.  So, yes, the objective distinction and analysis of formal and informal education rates is empirical and scientific; it's also proven to be the case that people are… Continue reading ‘Delusions of the digital age’ still stupid, still based on science The post ‘Delusions of the digital age’ still stupid, still based on science appeared first on GadgeTell.   Most consumer electronics companies are turning their attention towards smart home products and the Internet of Things. Many of the new and impressive entries into the smart home market are coming from small startups which has resulted in many acquisition talks and multi-million dollar deals. The latest deal could be between Samsung and SmartThings. TechCrunch reports that Samsung could buy the smart home company for $200 million, but the tech giant has not publicly confirmed or hinted at any acquisition. Continue reading Samsung may buy smart home company ‘SmartThings’ The post Samsung may buy smart home company ‘SmartThings’ appeared first on GadgeTell.   Samsung likely has hardly any fond memories of the time it was under public scrutiny for releasing the Frankensteinian smartphone/digital camera Galaxy S4 zoom mutant, yet that's not stopping the Koreans from bringing the bulky 4.3 incher back in the spotlight. This time, for all the right reasons. I mean, reason: a gradual… Continue reading Samsung updates Galaxy S4 zoom to Android 4.4 KitKat The post Samsung updates Galaxy S4 zoom to Android 4.4 KitKat appeared first on GadgeTell.   I don't know about you, but when I'm checking out at a grocery store using a self-serve machine, all I'm really thinking is, "Why can't I do this with beer?!" Or I'm thinking "Are these Fuji apples or Granny Smith?! I don't want to lie!" My life is hard. Well it turns out my dream of one day being able to serve myself a cold beer at sporting events is becoming a reality. Maybe it's just me, but having to simultaneously order my pretzel and beer at the same time to avoid waiting in multiple lines is really cutting down on my game-watching time. And by that I mean my multiple attempts to get on the jumbotron. I'll dance all night if I have to, Phillies! Continue reading Finally, self-serve beer machines have arrived The post Finally, self-serve beer machines have arrived appeared first on GadgeTell.   Scott Wikander (left) and Devon Razey (right) Geez, are the youngins defensive. I recently wrote a piece called "4 delusions of the digital age" wherein I tried to say that the internet, while being a useful tool, is not a magic wand that can fix all the world's problems. Well, that did not sit well with a certain PBATFEOM. (Note for the guy on Facebook who lambasted me for saying that abbreviations can cause confusion: that stands for "Person Born After The Final Episode Of M*A*S*H" – in my circle of friends we use that all the time.) I got an immediate response calling my writing stupid and my stupidity was going to be proven "using science." I might have to update my initial post to 5 delusions, but first I need to get a handle on what exactly Millennials consider "science." Apparently Dr. Who GIFs and random Einstein quotes qualify. Here's the thing about PBATFEOMs. (See how well that works? I don't know why we don't abbreviate everything?) Their whole lives, they've been told how special they are because their parents were deathly afraid of hurting their self-esteem. So when someone says something that doesn't jibe with their rose-colored glasses, they get cranky. When they get cranky, they lash out, usually in the form of a meme or unintelligible tweet. See, my initial post was not meant as an attack on Millennials – the previous paragraph is what an attack looks like – but… Continue reading More delusion on the internet The post More delusion on the internet appeared first on GadgeTell.  | |
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