About Kaylee McNamara

 Hi, my name is Kaylee McNamara.  I was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts. I have lived in Watertown, Massachusetts my whole life. Watertown is a small four square mile town right outside of Boston. I live with my mom, two brothers and my cat, Josie. I work in the Watertown mall at Carters; a baby clothes store. It does not pay as well as I would like it to but it is an enjoyable job. The people you come across are very amusing. I love all different food such as Chipotle, The Chateau, Pizzeria Regina, Friendlys, Ice cream cake, Brownies and candy. I am always listening to music. I love all different styles of music. I absolutely love the Beatles, Bob Marley, and Tupac. .  I am a freshman at Nichols College. I am either going to major in criminal justice or psychology, I’m still undecided. I love field hockey, I have been playing since I was in fifth grade; I play for the Nichols field hockey team. I hope to become a criminologist when I am older. I think it would be really interesting to listen and try to understand the mind of a criminal.  

I hope to gain more knowledge about computer’s, and gain a better understanding of how to use a computer to make power points , projects, etc. more creative. We use Microsoft applications for a majority of assignments in college. It would be very helpful to become more familiar with how they work.  Computers along with other technology are quickly developing and being used more and more in everyday life. It will benefit everyone by educating them how to do all the different things a computer allows you to do. 

This blog is about John Lennon’s live performance at Madison Square Garden, in New York City in 1972. This performance was his last formal, full-fledged concert, and the last time he performed live with Yoko.  This blog interests me because I love everything about the Beatles. John Lennon is my favorite out of the group.

Verizon and Redbox team up to battle Netflix

According to CNNMoney.com Verizon and Redbox are going to team up to battle Netflix, Dated on February 6, 2012 by David Goldman. In this article they discuss how the joining of these companies will make it easier for people to get access to the newer movies. They will be adding these features to smart-phones, tablets and, television. In the article they also say that this feature will be offered to customers other than Verizon customers. The joining of the two companies will offer its user a subscription to updated television shows and the newer movies. In the article the CFO of Coinstar Scott Di Valerio called Netflix out for not having up to date movies and television shows. Di Valerio went on to say that “With Redbox, you get this great, great new-release content.” Verizon will own 65% of the company and Coinstar will on 35% of the company. The company said “They can’t promise the never leave your home but they can promise that you will never have to wait two or three days for your movies to come in the mail.

I believe that this merge will be a great feature for the upcoming year. If the company can live up to what they offer it would make them the top of the video streaming leader. By them offering these features will create a digital and physical feature that no other can uphold. This will deliver the best of both worlds. I think this smart on Verizon part because it will bring more mobile customers to their services and will raise the bar for their competition. Know that this feature will be out later this year, I would like to treat myself to a Verizon tablet to be able to connect to this feature.

Hi this is Chris!! The article that I have chosen to discuss is a blog written by Jacqui Cheng (Ars Technica) on February 7, 2012. The name of the blog is as follows: “Over 3 years later, "deleted" Facebook photos are still online”. The blog was posted on the CCN Tech website. This article discusses an issue that Facebook users are facing because pictures that they think are being deleted off Facebook are really not. These pictures are being placed in an archive and saved for a much long time than anticipated. Photos that have been deleted from the main frame are still reachable if the direct link of the picture is still known. According to Facebook they are trying to figure out a system for those photos to be deleted at a quicker pace but still till this day have been unsuccessful. This issue came to face in 2008 and the direct link to any of those photos deleted by any of its users it still able to be seen. When Facebook was confronted three years as to why the problem had not been fixed; they had no direct answer. It was more like a weak answer in my opinion stating that: "The systems we used for photo storage a few years ago did not always delete images from content delivery networks in a reasonable period of time even though they were immediately removed from the site". The spokesperson for Facebook Wolens also explained that, “photos remaining online are stuck in a legacy system that was apparently never operating properly, but said the company is working on a new system that will delete the photos in a mere month and a half. For really real this time”. He continues to state that they are working on the problem and hope to completely fix the issue within a couple of months. The original author of this blog explained that even though it might be difficult to understand that Facebook it actually really working on fixing the problem there is a great deal of trust that they actually really working on fixing the situation as quickly as possible and until then we will continue to hear the horror stories that are continuing to happen to Facebook users.

Verizon/Redbox team up to compete with Netflix

The article I read was called "Verizon and Redbox team up to battle Netflix." It was written by David Goldman on February 6, 2012. You can find this article at: http://www.livebinders.com/play/play/304850 This article was very interesting. It outlined the new competition for Netflix that has arisen from a teaming up of Verizon and Redbox. The success Netflix has received due to their innovative ideas have not gone unnoticed, and now other companies are trying to get into the same business. Netflix was virtually alone in streaming movies online. It was only a matter of time before someone else tried to compete with them Verizon and Redbox believe that they have the capability in terms of technology and capital to face Netflix head on. They also believe they will have the advantage when it comes to competing. A spokesperson from Verizon/Redbox stated that they are limited to the amount of information that they could supply at the time, but they believe they will have the advantage. For one, their new service will be available to everyone, and not just Verizon costumers. They also stated that Netflix is lacking in their amount new movies and TV shows. Verizon/Redbox believes they will supply a lot more new programs. They want to be brother companies, and to split the profits and control 65% to Verizon and 35% to Coinstar, the parent company of Redbox. With the service of Verizon and the conveniently located Redbox's, they will be able to control all of the movie streaming world. Although Netflix has dominated the movie streaming world recently, as you can see there is a steady growing population of those trying to compete. And these competing companies are starting to get a lot more serious. In the near future we could see the goliath Netflix start to decline in their influence and power, and see the rise of other movie streaming companies. It will be ver interesting to see how things pan out.

What You Thought You Deleted

The article I chose was Over 3 years later, "deleted" Facebook photos are still online and it was published on February 7th, 2012 .When you throw away your trash, it never comes back but according to Facebook, after deleting pictures three years ago they still seem to not be completely deleted. The company admitted that their systems for storing uploaded content does not always delete the photos. They say you can still access the photos through a direct link. This can be very had because once reporters heard of this they started to do some reach and ask around to see what they could find. The reporters had been told some awful stories about how people deleted the photo but because someone could still access it by a specific link, people would bring it back up and torture and in some cases harass the person about their picture.

Reporters have asked if this situation has improved since the lasted time they asked and had confirmed that there systems have still not been changed and this problem was discovered back in 2008. It is 2012 with modern technology and they have still not fixed this problem. Maybe this why tweeter has become such a big hit in the social media world because people can still communicate with on another but did not have to post pictures. Also, parents can feel safer that their kids are still communicating with other and no pictures are being posted of their child doing something wrong. Now knowing that what I put up on Facebook can follow me for a long time, I will have to be a lot more careful for what I post. I would not want my family or peers to see me if I did something wrong and then have to worry for years that they could still find it and use that photo against me. Maybe this is also why the creator of Tweeter made Tweeter, to help the social media reputation and to have a safer network for others to use.

Verizon Vs, Netflix

In this article is describes the upcoming of a company created by Verizon and Redbox. Verizon is one of the biggest telecommunication companies and Redbox is a new innovator in movie rentals. These companies are planning a new wireless based video streaming company. This type of idea is already a tapped resource and the leader of it , their soon to be competitor Netflix. This brings the question of how they will beat this power house called Netflix. Nearly everyone who has a computer, television, or mobile phone has or uses Netflix. In the article they did not want to go into to fur of detail to give away their ideas, but they did say that the negatives of Netflix limited content of new movies, tv shows, etc would not be a problem for there company.

I am a first hand user of Netflix. I agree that when using their product it is hard to find a good amount of new movies and tv shows that I want to watch. However Netflix has a ton of documentaries and other things of that nature that I most likely would not have seen or watched if it was not for them. Also some of the movies from Netflix you have to order and they send a DVD to your house. The idea being proposed by Verizon and Redbox “will also take advantage of Redbox's 28,000 kiosks around the country to supplement streaming video options” (Goldman). This idea I think is a huge selling point for them. If I am looking to stream a movie but they do not have it and give me the option of driving five minutes to get it from a kiosk, I would certainly be fine with doing that. If this way of idea is as good as it sounds I believe it will hurt Netflix sales. As fast as the movie rental places such as blockbuster and movie world fell with the creation of Netflix and Redbox, I think we could be seeing a decrease in amount of sales and users Netflix has. If you were a costumer what would you choose Netflix or this new innovative movie streaming by Verizon and Redbox?

Evan Jones Over 3 years later, "deleted" Facebook pictures are still online

Over 3 years later, "deleted" Facebook photos are still online by Jacqui Cheng, Ars Technica updated 6:15 AM ET, Tuesday February 12^th, 2012.  This article described how Facebook pictures that are deleted on the site are not actually deleted.  The problem is the content delivery network (CDN) that Facebook partners with, has a slow system that does not actually delete photos that are deleted.  Users that have tried to delete embarrassing photos of pictures that their friends tagged them in and have made several complaints.  Even though pictures are deleted by clicking delete, they are still on the site.  This has been an irritating subject that has been going on for years and Facebook is just now starting to take the issue seriously.  This is a big issue because of how big a role Facebook plays into employment, drama, and friends.  Employers look at Facebook profiles to look for things that are inappropriate or disturbing so they know who would be a good person to hire.  Pictures of partying or doing silly activities with friends can cause unwanted drama.  According to the article Facebook is working hard with CDN to make sure that when a user hits delete, the content will be fully deleted within the next 45 days.  Facebook has said the same in the past and will believe it when it happens. 

I think this is a very important issue because of how social media is today in our social environment.  I am made personally that Facebook hasn’t fixed this when this surfaced because I am losing trust in the company.  Sometimes people tag me in photos I didn’t know where taken and I would want them to be thoroughly deleted.  Twitter is most likely gaining more respect from this since Facebook hasn’t been taking trust with its users in the past sincerely.   On Twitter you can also post photos, but if you want to delete your tweet you can very easily.  I use Facebook a lot and understand how people are complaining about this issue.  The company says they are working on it and I hope they figure it out soon.  I am positive Facebook has the brainpower to fix this, but I hope it is soon for the sake of my life and others.  

Verizon & Redbox VS. Netflixs

The two companies of Verizon and red box are teaming up to try and slow down Netflix’s take over in movies. Verizon and red box are trying to slow down the powerhouse of Netflix’s. They will do this by starting the ability to stream red box over the Internet. This will help it compete with Netflix’s that already has this fetcher. They will try and make the red box and Verizon venture to be compatible for all costumers not just Verizon ones. This helps them in their quest to slowing down Netflix’s. Verizon plans on make more resent films and television shows available to the customers. This is based on Netflix’s has a strong older collection of movies and T.V shows. But it will be hard to compete with the stunning low price that Netflix’s has of eight dollars a month. Red box was doing well with a dollar a day rental but with the Verizon component will make it hard to stay at that low rate. This will not be easy other company’s have already tried passing Netflix’s before in the past some of them being amazon and hulu plus. They both have failed in their attempts to be the top of the streaming world. So this makes it harder for the Verizon and red box team to try and trump this powerhouse of Netflix’s. I feel as if now with all the other competitors trying to over take the top spot that Verizon and red box can learn form the others and make a better go at overtaking the lead. Personally I do not think Netflix’s is that great this is based on they have old movies and shows that I would not want to watch. They are so old that kids that are in my age group would not even want to watch them either making the Netflix’s sales go down. The money price will be hard for the Verizon and red box team in their venture. For Verizon as a powerhouse of the wireless phones this will make their price is a steep one to compete with for they’re new ventures into the movie world.

How Apple Cuts Costs in Buildings its Gadgets

How Apple Cuts Costs in Buildings its Gadgets-By Mark Milian, CNN updated 8:20 PM EST, Mon February 6, 2012 Apple is one of the most successful businesses out today and they have a few key manufacturing aspects that help them increse their profit year after year. Apple has a product which is in high demand everyday. They have their products assembled in China to help cut costs and help increase their profit. New York Times and other newspapers have been researching these factories overseas and have found that working conditions are barely humane. There have been numerous suicides from workers at the company foxconn which helps produce apple's products. I feel that it's just completely unethical to have poor workers over seas work for the bare minimum and also have them work insane hours. These major companies exploit workers in other countries just to help them increase their profit. Maybe money is the root of all evil after all. These companies would rather have a buck in their pocket than a heart in their chest. I feel that if we relocate these factories to the United States it could help increase our GDP and also help with unemployment. The companies also might not take too much of a profit loss because the more jobs we have in the United States the more spending will increase and companies like apple could actually see an increase in product sales. I know it's not just apple committing these travesties but if one company sees that change can help their company in the long run maybe eventually we can diffuse other major companies like microsoft back into the United States. The major companies of the present should look at the auto industry and believe that if we wanted we can make it happen on our home soil. Companies like Ford have made huge profits from production on our homefront. Apple could start a movement and could increase overall profits in the process. These are my beliefs and maybe companies could help make a difference in our nation and maybe our economy would increase making us a stronger nation as a whole.

Apple's In The Hot Seat!!!!!

    
           The article is labelled, "Should you feel guilty for buying your iPhone?" This article was updated on January 31, 2012, on the CNN website; however, The New York Times gave them the insight on what is going on with the manufacturing company that makes the Apple products. From what I was reading it looks like the working conditions of Apple are not very accommodating for the workers in the China factories. It is not right that they are producing Apple products twenty-four hours a day, six days a week. Some of the working conditions that are stated in the article consist of; workers standing on their feet so long that their legs start to swell, they live in crowed dorms on the factories campus, and it even states that they are underage. One worker even died days later after an explosion in one of the factories that produces iPods, because his skin had been burned badly. Foxconn factories are denying that the working conditions are as horrific as stated. 

            If the factories were in America, these working conditions would not be tolerated. It is wrong that the workers are being treated like this especially since they are the ones producing the products that make Apple a billion dollar industry. Apples CEO Tim Cook supposedly sent out an email to all Apple employees stating that these conditions and the workers safety would be taken seriously, but many do not think that they will be. The thought of boycotting Apple was brought up, however that would not really be effective. The products are being produced in China, so that when sold in America, they can be sold for a decent and fair price. If consumers boycott Apple until these working conditions are changed then the price of Apple products will most likely be incredibly high for consumers to purchase.

            Apple really needs to step it up and find a solution to this outrage of the working conditions for its employees. I personally do not feel guilty for buying the Apple products just because of hearing about the working conditions. Apple produces exceptionally great products and I am sure they will continue to do so. How do you guys feel about this situation? What are your thoughts about the working conditions? Would you boycott the Apple Industry? And do you feel guilty for buying your Apple products?

Facebook Photos

Over 3 years later, "deleted" Facebook photos are still online

Tue February 7, 2012

http://www.cnn.com/2012/02/06/tech/social-media/deleted-facebook-photos-online/index.html

 

I read the article about how Facebook has been having problems with photos not being completely deleted from its database.

Facebook admitted that its older systems for storing uploaded content did not always delete images from content delivery networks in a reasonable period of time even though they were immediately removed from the site, but said it's currently finishing up a newer system that makes the process much quicker. In the meantime, photos that users thought they "deleted" from the social network months or even years ago remain accessible via direct link.

When the situation was fisrt investigated in 2009,it was discovered that photos "delete"from Facebook never actually went away if you had a direct link to the image on Facebook's servers. Photos that some users may have deemed inappropriate for the site, whether it was to avoid poblems with an employer or family drama. The images were only removed from Facebook's main user interface,but as long as someone had a direct link to the .jpg file, the photo would remain accesible for an indefinite amount of time.

But more than a year later, "deleted" photos were still accesible online and that when facebook users heard of the problem and the stories started to pour in.

It is now 2012, nearly three years later, and the problem is still not resolved. Photos that the reporters had deleted on their Facebook accounts were still online via direct link. The reporters reached out to Facebook again looking for an answer.

Facebook responded by saying that they were working hard to improve their photo storage to newer systems which ensure photos are fully deleted within 45 days of the removal request being received.

The article ends by asking us as readers if wehave any new Facebook horror stories to share. So I found a video about how scammers are using Facebook. The worst part is that young kids that are now using Facebook are being scammed and they have no idea it is happening to them.

Facebook

The article I chose is called “Over 3 Years later, “deleted” Facebook photos are still online.” It was written by Jacqui Cheng very recently, as it was published on February 7^th 2012. This article is about some pictures on Facebook that were uploaded by users, and deleted sometime after they were uploaded. But the problem that occurred is that some pictures were never completely deleted and they were still left on the website. This may have caused a lot of trouble because people put pictures on Facebook that were taken at parties where they may appear under the influence in those pictures. People regret putting some pictures on Facebook, and would be much happier if they were to be completely taken down. Those pictures may be viewed by potential jobs and bosses, which may have an impact on the decision of the company from hiring them. This problem is rather serious, as each day thousands of people create a Facebook profile, and millions of photos are uploaded each day. These photos have been resurfacing over the years, which angers users. The author uses an example in the article, saying “One reader linked me to a photo that a friend of his had posted of his toddler crawling naked on the lawn. He asked his friend to take it down for obvious reasons, and so the friend did -- in May of 2008. As of this writing in 2012, I have personally confirmed that the photo is still online, as are several others that readers linked me to that were deleted at various points in 2009 and 2010.” Facebook is infamously known for changing their layout multiple times, and they usually are not helpful and it just makes things a lot more difficult to do on the website. I think that Facebook should not spend the useless time that they do trying to update their website, and just spend that time trying to find a resolution to this problem. It is ridiculous that a website that has made billions of dollars cannot figure out how to do such a simple task.

IPhone

Should you Feel Guilty for buying your IPhone?

CNN January 31, 2012

IPhone are made in China at a building called Foxconn.  Many of Foxconn rules wouldn’t go over well here in the United States.  For example their facility is open 24 hours.  Some of the employees will work 12-hour shifts, which make their feel swell.  Also, some of the employees are working underage, and they live at the campus. Since the working conditions at Foxconn are so bad there has been some workers try to commit suicide by jumping out windows. One worker at Foxconn was working on an IPad when it exploded, and he got severely injured, and eventually died days later.  You can tell that this place is not the best place to work, but Foxconn told Times that the working conditions are nothing that you hear.  Eventually Apple CEO Tim Cook told people that their work enviorment is safe and there is nothing wrong with it.  Since this has leaked into the news a website called Change.org has supposedly collected peoples signatures, and they have reach 145,000 so far.  They are trying to protect people’s jobs that work for Apple.  They also want to boycott Apple products for a little bit.  If people try to boycott I don’t think it would work because people love the Apple product, and always wanting the newest one out.  They have lines at stores just for a new IPad or IPhone. They want to make the IPhone here in the U.S. but that would mean you have to pay more money for the phone.  People would not do that because we are always looking for the cheap way out.  Apple has 100 billion dollars in their bank account so they could make a facility here in the U.S., but they also could make the working conditions better at Foxconn too.  Apple is not the only product being made at Foxconn other technology is being made there also, but people won’t talk about them.  The only reason why the products are not as expensive is because they are from China where they have no minimum wage, and Apple can pay them extremely cheap.  The reason they don’t do it here is because we have a minimum wage of 8 dollars an hour, and anything over 40 hours is overtime. 

iPhone

Title: Should you feel guilty for buying your iPhone? Published: January 31, 2012 Source: CNN Tech I read the article on whether or not we should feel guilty about buying an iPhone or Apple products in general for that matter. There is a company known as Foxconn that resides in China, this is the place where Apple products are made. This article discusses the claimed harsh work conditions that the employees face while working there. The article states that some of the employees work twelve hour shifts for sometimes up to six days a week. The article also goes on to say that there are many workers that are underage and there has even been reported suicides of workers who decided to jump off buildings. If people are attempting suicides due to their harsh work environments, then I see a huge problem at hand. There is a suggested boycott that could be taken against Apple products but I really don't see people doing that. People treasure their Apple products and I couldn't see many turning against them no matter what the circumstance is, which is sad to say but is most likely true. Many people stand in line hours before the release of the next Apple product. People like to be the first to have the newest product from them. Apple is a very well recognized brand and is extremely successful. Apple is said to be wealthier than the U.S. is altogether. If people were to boycott and have a successful one at that, it would surprisingly hurt the consumers more than the Apple company. If Apple were to bring a Foxconn company to the U.S. instead of staying with the company in China then the prices for Apple products would increase a substantial amount. I don't believe that many consumers will accept that concept. Also, Apple is not the only company to be linked to bad working conditions with their manufacturers. Other factories in Asia make gadgets for several other major consumer brands. So, Apple is not the only company that could be found guilty of terrible work environments. It is really sad to hear this, however, because I really like Apple products and to have a story like this linked to their well-known brand is upsetting.

The Xenex

Robot cleaner a 'game changer' for hospital infection epidemic
January 26, 2012
CNN Money, written by Eileen Zimmerman

Due to viruses, one in twenty people in the hospital is battling an infection they got onsite. Purell dispensers are now around every corner in hospitals, but the same old cleaning methods are used: a staff member using chemical disinfectants. A solution to this problem of hospital-borne illnesses is the Xenex. It is a mobile, robot device that kills germs with blasts of light. It has pulsed xenon UV, which is an ultraviolet light that sterilizes and kills microbiological organisms. Julie Stachowiak and Mark Stibich, two epidemiologists, developed the technology in the Xenex at Houston Technology Center. They teamed up with Brian Cruver, and that is where the Xenex business began. The Xenex cleans a hospital room in five to ten minutes, focusing on heavily touched surfaces like bedrails, tray tables, and telephones. The housekeepers clean the room then start the Xenex machine, which is said to be easier to use than a vacuum. At Cooley Dickinson Hospital in Northampton, Ma, they had one in one hundred twenty-nine patients with hospital-acquired illnesses. That number dropped 67% after the use of the Xenex. Each Xenex costs about $80,000 and an average sized hospital would need two of them. It costs hospitals $35 million each year to treat hospital-acquired illnesses. With about 5,800 hospitals in the United States, the Xenex has a huge potential market. It also does not require doctors or nurses to change their behavior or do more. In my opinion, the Xenex is the perfect invention. It is a faster and safer way to clean hospital rooms, and there is proof of the large numbers of lives it has saved. Although a large upfront cost, it is a significantly smaller amount of money to purchase the Xenex than to treat hospital-acquired illnesses year after year. Also, since it does not require any extra physical labor, it is appealing to doctors and nurses. They have enough to deal with on a daily basis, and the Xenex will just make their lives easier by preventing illnesses. The Xenex will most likely be highly profitable because of the fact that there are so many hospitals in the United States and around the world. It seems like a fool proof invention – it is cost effective, safe, saves lives, and makes professional’s lives easier.