Let's talk about everyday TECHNOLOGIES.

Specifically entertainment devices. What I have in my room right now is a HP laptop (2008) hooked up to a 42 inch 1080i Vizio HDTV that I got with a Viore DVD upconverter via HDMI plus a very used Xbox 360 via Components, GameCube via AV cables, and VCR via Antenna/Cable cable (because why not). I'm blogging with a wireless keyboard and mouse on the monstrosity of a TV in my room right now. I have a PS2 and Dreamcast strewn about as well. The N64 is in the living room. I bring this up for two reasons. With the addition of new videogame consoles in a world of increased gaming, higher definitions and 'gamer culture,' there have arisen these 'Battlestations': the setups very much like the one I described above. Such battlestations can be TV or computer monitor based, but usually involve devices and technologies that are newer, more expensive than traditional models and are setup for the user's entertainment. I have seen high powered gaming PCs with 6+ monitors. I have seen my current PC-to-TV model used YEARS ago by a friend. I have seen every videogame console known to man in one cabinet. I have also seen a big-screen with Bose surround speakers plus a Playstation 3 and Apple TV. The point is, it's created by the user to the user's liking. Battlestations are a staple in gaming culture (though not entirely necessary). The second reason I bring this up is: How old are these technologies really? What would it look like if I tried to make a similar setup 10 years ago? 20 years ago? My mother still has her stereo from when she was in college. It is several units in a cabinet including radio, cassette player/recorder and turntable and includes giant sub-par speakers. The greatest part about them was the compatibility with my mom's old keyboard with scaled down keys - she would play 'Roll Out the Barrel.' Add this sound system to her Zenith 24" CRT behemoth she bought when I was little and add a VCR player and a Nintendo or Atari system (her brother owned the games at one point in their lives - plus she now owns two Pacman straight-to-tv joystick games). Her pre-historic Battlestation takes up most of the living room, complete with a TV stand full of bulky VHS. A friend of mine started to build up his Battlestation last year. 50+ inch 1080p HDTV on a tall stand, those Bose speakers, Blu-Ray collection and connectivity with his brand new Mac computer, wirelessly. His modern-age Battlestation takes up noticeably less space than my mom's with more to add to it. Where Mom has a TV, (condensed) Music system, Movie watching mechanism and one or two videogames, he has the TV, the sound system (direct iPod connectivity), movie theater (Youtube, Netflix, Hulu Plus, Apple TV), plus the Playstation 3, able to play most of these things plus Blu-Rays and tons of downloadable content (it can even turn the TV into a picture frame) - all in the same, if not less, amount of space. AND it has a sub-woofer. Ah, the evolution of technology. Of course there are tons of other factors in this entertainment device craze. Mobile phones/gaming. The app revolution. THE ENTIRE INTERNET. And the fact that culture now is nothing like how it was when my mother was in college (late 70s). It's a giant sub-cultural movement that is both interesting and fun to think about. I just wanted to share my two cents about that. TL;DR - Battlestations: Then and Now. Think about it.

Current Events in Media

What role has social media played in the Middle East revolutions?

This is the sort of thing I brought up before in a previous post. Twitter and Facebook played a HUGE role in Egypts revolution. Governments no longer have a monopoly over information. People are talking to each other about real events.

But now I worry about countries like China and North Korea where the internet is largely censored and social networking sites are on lock down. I worry because nobody is helping them as we have no political interest in the area. The middle east is hot right now because of 1) oil and alleged oil as well as 2) "Radical Muslims" were the ones who supposedly caused the 9/11 attacks and they "all" live in the Middle East.

I watched this video and it makes me very sad that the major world powers of the US, the UK, the European Union, etc. preach about democracy morning, noon and night, yet they fund repressive regimes in the Middle East and even South America due to commercial gains and "at least it's not Communism." It's sad. And extremely sickening.

The world needs to see more progress. More revolution. We can do this.

Technology Themed Thursday! MINECRAFT

When one thinks of video games these days, they automatically think of the PS3’s and Xbox360’s of the world. Or maybe even the handheld devices like the DS or PSP. With those systems, thoughts of ‘state of the art graphics’ come to mind with ‘realistic’ game play and ‘seamless’ transitions. Well, I want to introduce you to a different kind of game.

Minecraft.

This little masterpiece has blown up in the computer game area of video games (both PC and Mac can run it, fully downloadable after purchase). Overall, it is considered a sandbox game where you play as a person who has to ‘survive’ day and night, mining for materials and building things from said materials. As there are no goals to the game, you can play as much or as little as you want with no obligation. However, it gets extremely addictive.

In terms of little kid cartoons, I am more of a Dora (an explorer) than a Bob (a builder). I like to look for different biomes for different plants, I like to dig deep into the earth in hopes of finding diamond, and I like to slay any mobs along the way (cows, pigs, sheep and chickens are out during the day, zombies, skeletons, spiders, and “creepers” are out at night). But the problem with collecting all these resources is then I never have any ideas to put them to use.

For example, on usual mining occasions, a player will end up with loads and loads of cobblestone blocks. What one can do with said cobblestone blocks is build structures. The limit is your imagination (and how exactly the game will allow you to place certain blocks). I have seen castles, space ships, statues, pyramids, shacks, pretty much anything you can think of. Because you don’t just have to build with cobblestone. There’s also wood, wool, sand, gravel, dirt, and other ‘craftable’ blocks.

And then, there is still so much more to this game than mining and building. Having the right combination of materials can give you better weapons, better foodstuffs (to replenish health), better tools; can create different coloured wool blocks (including red, blue, lime green and the like), paintings to be put on walls, signs to instruct fellow players (there is a single player mode and a multiplayer mode). A lot. And the game is still only in Beta, meaning the team who is creating the game is continuously updating it with bug fixes and more craftable and natural items.

I really like Minecraft. It’s great to play by myself or someone who can help build things to make the construction go faster. Some people complain about its lack of graphics, but that’s the beauty of it to begin with. It gives the game an overall old-school feel. Plus, if you really wanted the look of the game to be more detailed or beautiful, there are ‘texture packs’ that change the aesthetics of the individual blocks, animals, etc. making them all look more cartoony or more realistic or what have you, entirely based on your own tastes.

The cost of the game is around $20 American right now (it is being made in Sweden). The price will be bumped to about 25 or 30 dollars once the final product is released. But that still shouldn’t be for awhile. The website, minecraft.net, is linked through Paypal for easy checkout or you can just use a credit card. Once you pay, you can download the game and start your own adventure.

I want to thank Cristina Valdez for introducing me to such an amazing game. <3

Image of the Moment

Before reading any more of my own words, I would like for you to look at the image below and really think about what you see.

What does this mean to you?

What I see is the spread of information at its best. I see Twitter functioning as the way it was intended. Information to and from Libya and Egypt are possible because of a widely used service like Twitter, where updates come straight to your mobile phone. This is information revolution, and we all know information is power. None of the tweets we make or retweet is particularly activism, but it's a step in the right direction.

The more I see about these revolutions around the world, the more I get worried about my own country: not because I see parallels to the violent protests, but because I don't see much of any similarities in the people's ultimate action. We are at an impasse and nothing is working because nobody is willing to consider the 'other side.' The keys are education and balance, but we need to do something to get to the point where we can rationally and clear minded-ly cooperate and talk about these things.

Unfortunately with how our society works, a real revolution will never happen again on American soil (so long as we're not invaded and taken over [which I doubt, considering we spend over ten times as much on defense than we do education {source}]). Majority of the population is too lost in their fantasy worlds, either through money or through television, to be willing to go out in hopes of making a difference. We are not willing to band together because we view ourselves as too different, and it would take a great deal of discomfort in order to make it happen (and we value individuality, and comfort/luxury over all). A people's revolution would require us to destroy our schedules and do something "dangerous." Practically nobody is willing to do it, not even myself (especially if I'm the only one).

At what point will we become so desperate that our only choice is to fight back? Or at that point, will it just be learned helplessness? Are we really just going to roll over and take it?

I, for one, love all the protests that are going on in Wisconsin. Totally barring unions is unnecessary in solving economic issues. People's jobs, their only means of survival in the land of the rich, are at stake. They are taking a stand. And it's beautiful. I want this momentum to keep going. We need real change and we need it now.

There are so many other problems I want to tackle, but I have to stop now. I get much too angry and, for my mentality's sake, I cannot handle anymore. All I can hope is that others will start thinking. And after some enlightenment, they will take action.

About This Blog

I am a Mass Communication major. I get angry about American society a lot. Thus, this blog was born.

I got into Mass Communications after I started getting into filming and editing videos. I may have been "Undecided" in my college career at that time, but I was taking English and Communication courses. After realizing the potential of my videos and an education in Mass Communication, I changed my major to such after transferring to Indiana University South Bend.

The problem with getting an education in the 'fine' media that floods the United States of America is that I learn about the ugly truths behind advertising, propaganda and politics. This makes me upset. I want other people to know about the corruption and injustices in hopes of making them angry like me. The point of this anger is to then ultimately do something about the system. Maybe not a revolution... but something.

I also recognize that college usually has this profound effect on people my age, that it is normal to feel and act this way. But I don't feel that such a fact makes this any less important.

Aside from communications, I'm also big on reuse (a better alternative to recycling) and dabbling in nutrition (I get upset about our food in this country, too). I may occasionally post about the evils of sugar or about some sweet and cheap clothes I got from Salvation Army. In my brain, it is all related to one another.

So, if the Communication Arts is your thing, or you get upset about the state of the world, or if you're similar to me, I am confident that this blog is the place for you.

Oh, yeah: I like Pokemon, too.

Technology Themed Thursday! SMARTPHONES

The HTC Dream AKA T-Mobile G1

The first Android phone to hit the market back in 2008

I now have one.

By today's standards, it is nothing particularly special.

But by my own standards, it is amazing.

I got my first cellphone at age 18. A standard LG model. No texting.

Two years later I got my second phone. Standard LG. Unlimited texting. No data.

A little over a year after that I got my third. A Motorola. Standard. Piece of shit.

I got sick of it fast... so I jumped and bought this used phone.
BECAUSE I COULDN'T STAND BEING BEHIND THE TIMES ANYMORE.

It does enough to keep me happy. I still have no data, but I connect to wifi everywhere.

I have Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr and whatever other apps.

I also have Game Boy emulators to play some Pokemon on the go (like REALLY on the go).

It lags... but I also haven't rooted it yet (to unlock and put a different interface on).

I just ordered a new case for it. It will be orange and black soon.

And I have the headphone adapter so I can play music in my car.

I like it.

Since then, the iPhone 4 is coming out, Windows has a phone, the G2 is coming out, Sony leaked a Playstation phone, THE 3DS IS SO CLOSE. It's whatev.

I'm still completely lost and drowned in all of the current technology.
But I hold onto other older technologies.
VHS and cassettes, Zip disk, the Virtual Boy....

Vintage. Retro. Classic. Nostalgia.

I have no way to wrap this post up.
I like my phone.

Technology Themed Thursday! TWITTER

I use Twitter, yes I do;

I use Twitter, how 'bout you?

A lot of people use twitter for microblogging or jotting down quick thoughts. A lot of other people use twitter to stay in contact with people and have active conversations. Still more people use twitter to describe every hour of their mundane lives. Some people hate twitter because of that. And some other people don't understand why twitter exists or how it could possibly be important.

Well, I am an advocate of twitter. I occasionally update with very mundane things ("going to class") but oftentimes I use it to talk to people, discover people, and really speak my mind, poetically or not ("Bruised up the ol' writing arm. I'm a pro"). I have complained on twitter and have been told to stop complaining on twitter. But there really is more to the picture than that.

What makes twitter revolutionary is the compatibility with almost any cell phone. If one doesn't have internet access on their phone, they can set options to get updates to and to send updates from one's phone via text message. This makes the spread of information increase tenfold in comparison to television or even web news. As soon as something happens and someone sends a quick tweet, a mass text or notification is sent to anyone following the individual and instantly they possess the same information.

How is this important?

A perfect example is the use of Twitter in Iran about a year ago. Countries like Iran and China have censorship on the kind of information that goes in and out of the country; it is controlled. But when stuff went down and people were demonstrating, what the government would have rather kept a secret, those who were involved or witnessed the event tweeted about it. The truth got out fast and there was nothing the country could have done to stop it.

As I had stated in a previous post, the smartphone is taking over as the number one media outlet. With this kind of instantaneous information going to and from these tiny devices, the information age is changing dramatically. Twitter is a very real reason why newspapers are going under. Television is also struggling as the stations can't get to events or get contacted fast enough to air it. Plus, Twitter information is not controlled by the media outlets agenda. Information comes from real people. That's as close to the truth as you can get.

Before I forget: follow me on Twitter! @sMarlo