Which tablet is right for you?

It was said that 2010 would be the year of tablets, but many manufacturers put a hold on their releases due to production and last minute imporvements. Now, companies are ready and 2011 will be the year of the tablet. But, with so many to choose from, it is hard to make a decision on which one to buy. So, here is a brief review of a few of the post popular devices.

iPad 2

The iPad 2 is a new model of the iPad that is thinner and lighter. Now, customers have the option to purchase the iPad 2 with 3G internet access which requires a monthly payment to connect to Verizon's or AT&T's wireless network.
Price: $500-$830

Samsung Galaxy Tab

The samsung Galaxy Tab runs on Google's Android 2.2 operating system, which includes features such as turn-by-turn navigation, voice dictation, and Flash support, which cost extra on many other tablets.

Price: $400-$600

H.P. Slate
The H.P. Slate now has a full working touch version of windows 7 programed into the tablet. This device is targeted towards business users and is a little more pricey that most tablets.
Price:$800

White iPhone vs. White iPhone

The new iPhone 4 is now available in white, rather than the classic black color that was only available for the past three models. There had been a delay though, as the phone was released, on the white versions. People were wondering why since Apple is usually on top of their game when it comes to production. There were rumors that Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple, was unhappy with certain elements of the phone including the color of white. Now, the phones have been released in the store and are available in white. These pictures were release of the comparisons and in them we can see the differences.

Are You Listening?

With the rise of smart phones and the constant acceleration of technology, it is now acceptable and "fashionable" to be immersed in your phone while having a conversation with someone in person. Recently at South by Southwest, David Carr hosted a panel called, "I'm So Productive, I Never Get Anything Done," which was about how so many people are constantly on Facebook, Twitter, blog sites, email, and many other media outlets, rather than doing what they care about or what they are getting paid for. Anthony De Rosa, a product manager and programmer at Reuters, said that technology is causing a decrease in human courtesy and respect. The rest of the audience appeared to agree with De Rosa. It seems that when out with friends or colleges, there is a constant battle between a real face-to-face connection and the conncections in the palm of your hand. Even when a group of people are together, they are in their own world, separately on their own devices. So, how do we bring back face-to-face conversation?

Cellphone Radiation May Alter Your Brain

Is your cell phone hurting you? Last month a study was published in The Journal of the American Medical Association stating that cell phone use could be responsible for altering brain activity. The change that takes place in the brain, caused by the cell phone, is an increase in glucose metabolism. This effect can happen after using your cellular phone for less than an hour. The study was unsure whether this change had any definite negative effects on our health. Further studies are being done to reach more results, however, in the meantime. The best way to avoid these effects on brain activity are to keep your cell phone a distance away from your ear and/or head. Using the speakerphone feature or using a hands-free ear piece is much better and does not cause the same effects. Even holding your cellphone away from you're ear a little bit and turning the volume up makes a difference.

Twitter and Poetry

This Monday, March 21st, the fifth anniversary of the first tweet. The trend has caught on tremendously since then and now, people are using tweets as a creative outlet, rather than updating their every move or the latest celebrity gossip. With one message being limited to 140 characters, many are using it as a challenge. Writers, especially, have been having fun with this feature. One in particular is John Wray, who tweets as a character named Citizen, and a trend of posting a haiku, or "twaiku" has been a popular movement. Recently,Week in Review asked four poets were asked to write a poem in the 140 character bracket of the twitter message including the hashtag, #poetweet.

Take A Vacation From Your Smart Phone

Reboot, a Jewish organization, has created a new app for smartphones that allows you to "check out" for a while. With the new app, called Sabbath Manifesto, Reboot encourages a one-day break from technology to remember our values and our family and friends that are around us. They plan to have a "National Day of Unplugging" on March 4th, 2011. Currently, the app is available for Android and Blackberry phones, and Reboot is awaiting approval for iPhone. After you download Sabbath Manifesto, you can send out a text and message to your Facebook and Twitter, notifying others that you are temporarily unavailable. While the group realizes the irony of "unplugging" by using an app, but the ability to send out a message to all your followers that you will be unavailable may encourage the "unplugging" trend. The group hopes this second annual day off from technology will catch on. While the group is not against technology, but they believe a break is needed to focus on the environment around and real interaction with real people.

Closing the Gap Between Social Media and TV

An article in the New York Times points out that TV viewers are often simultaneously connected to a social media outlet. While watching a show, viewers are discussing it on Twitter and Facebook. The exposure of the show on the internet increases ratings for show that are already popular, and can also bring attention to smaller shows. This interaction during the television shows gives viewers the effect that they are all there, in the same room, watching the show together. This may even make people want to watch the show again next time. Networks are also enjoying the new trend because they can tell if a show is a hit or not by how much it is mentioned on the social network sites, specifically Twitter.

With the Academy Awards approaching and this information about consumers' "two-screen behavior," the television network has developed a corresponding website for the award show. The website will feature live streaming video of the show's behind the scene footage. Viewers can watch Oscar winners receive their award on stage on the television network, then follow them backstage on the live feed on the website.