I'll have the combo, please

So not only are watching TV on our cell phones, but we are also taking pictures. It’s combining our cells with our cams. Lucky huh? Verizon Wireless, Cingular, AT&T and so on all carry the cell phone that now comes equipped with a camera. Taking pictures and sending them to your friends as another form of a text message has become standard. This technological advancement allows us to share images with one another, bringing each other closer through visual aids. Not only can we take pictures now, but also we can also video record. People are lost without their cell phones, and now not only can they call when they are in need, but also they can document with their cameras as well. Take the Virginia Tech tragedy for instance. News organizations were able to have actual footage of the incident all because a student pulled out his cell phone and recorded it through the use of his built-in camera. A description over the phone is no longer necessary; we can now just simply take a picture and show our person on the other line exactly what we are seeing. It’s amazing, and has already changed the world through its ability to bring people the picture through visuals, rather than just descriptions.

I've got ENTERTAINMENT fingers

You want more? You got it. Let’s do it, c’mon. You know you’ve always wanted the world at your fingertips… we’re getting close people. Video Ipods. It holds up to 20,000 songs, up to 25,000 photos, and up to 100 hours of video! That’s right, movies on an Ipod. I’m still stuck on how cool my Nano is… gosh, catch up Emma! You can now access movies, video games, TV shows, and music, all in the palm of your sweaty little hand. iTunes now allows you to buy movies and sync them your iPod, making “the whole world your theater” (www.apple.com/ipod/ipod.html). The brand new iPods have up to 80GB, allowing it to fit podcasts, games, audiobooks, photo albums, and so on. Talk about pocket space? These iPods are small enough to fit in your pocket, yet large enough to carry thousands of songs. It truly is amazing. We are able to be entertained at any time of the day. It’s as easy as remembering to carry your pencil; just slip your 80GB iPod into your bag and you’re set.

But I wanna watch AMERICAN IODL!!!

There goes the excuse that you need to make it home in time to catch Oprah, or Maury Polvic. Cripes! Yeah, now there’s TiVo. Thanks, I guess. TiVo is one of the many popular brands of digital video recorder, or DVR’s in the United States. This device allows it’s users to capture a television program by having it recorded onto an internal hard disk, where it can then be stored and viewed at a later time. Get this, not only does TiVo digitally record the shows you want, it also automatically records programs that the viewer is likely to be interested in. Nope, doesn’t stop there, it also includes a feature called “trick play,” which allows the viewer to stop, rewind, replay or pause a live television broadcast. Also, more recent models of the TiVo can connect to your local area network, allowing the Tivo to download information and even movies from the Internet. Viewers can literally pick and choose what they want to see, and when they want to see it without having to be home at a certain time, or have to record a certain show. This revolutionizes television, creating more ways for people to watch their favorite programs. Instead of having to miss ABC’s Primetime, you can now record it while watching American Idol. Lucky us, we broadcasters now have more ways in which our viewers can access our shows because they have the option of seeing everything rather than just picking and choosing their specific programs.
For more information, visit www.tivo.com

UM... WILL YOU GET OUT GUIDE ME INTO THIS SPOT?!!

It’s a common fact, woman just can’t parallel park. Yeah, ladies I’m sorry, but I have to agree. We suck. Have no fear, have no fear, there’s a change looming in the automotive industry. A car that parallel parks itself. We are now only responsible for completing the first task in parallel parking, which is pulling up alongside an empty space and passing the rear car before aligning next to the front car. Yeah, all we girls have to do now is properly align ourselves next to a car, and the rest is up to the big thing we’re driving. From there, “a sonar sensor on the front fender measures the length of the space and your distance from the cars. Put the car in reverse, and the rearview camera… presents a wide rear view on the in-dash display” (blogs.cars.com/kickingtires/2006/09/ls_460_parking.html). From there, a green square on the screen shows up. All you need to do is place the green square exactly where you would like to park. Once you have it lined up, you press OK and the car does the rest, you only need to use the brake to ease the car back. Can you believe it? A car that parks itself. Lazy? Yeah, maybe, but isn’t it great? This is just one more step on the path to never having to drive again – soon the car will just do it for you. But for now, ladies, let’s applaud these geniuses that just made our lives a heck of a lot easier. It's called the The Lexus LS460. This will change driving and parking altogether. We will have better parkers and better habits on the road because there is more of a support system that is along with us.

.lookin' good.

A cell phone can only do so much! I mean it gets to the point where you're tired of saying, "Gosh, I wish I could see your face right now," so THANK YOU MACINTOSH. It has become standard to now include a web cam with your laptop computer. The brand new MacBooks come equipped with a built-in iSight and microphone. Due to the mass amounts of memory and space added to each new book, the picture is pretty good, providing it's customers with a clear view of their friend/lover/ex. We are now able to see someone from the comfort of our home, the discomfort of an airport, the tops of the Alps... really, I could go on. How will this advancement change us? Well it already has. We are becoming a more technology-based people, using it as our way to communicate face to face. This advancement breaks down the cell-phone barrier, allowing us to not only hear, but also see each other, catering to another one of our senses.
For more information, visit www.apple.com

OWWWWW! I HAVE SUNSCREEN IN MY EYES!

OWWWWW! I HAVE SUNSCREEN IN MY EYES! nah, not anymore. C'mon you babies! I know, let's just create a swimsuit that allows us not to wear sunscreen. Done. It's called Ultraviolet Swimwear. With the scare of Global Warming, and the thinning of the Ozone layer, more and more people are becoming sun-conscious. Ultraviolet Swimwear is just another way in which children can start protecting themselves from the rays. One company, called The Beach Factory, explains that their UV Swimwear, "conforms to a tested UPF50+ level of screening, making life on the beach or by the pool much safer... UV swimwear means less sun cream" (www.travel-quest.co.uk/promo2/htm). There are more and more advancements in tracking skin cancer, that now; we can develop ways to avoid it all together. Ultraviolet Swimsuits are a new technological advancement that will further prepare humans against the tragedy of skin cancer. This development will allow for a better, more aware society against things that are harmful to our bodies.

HUNNY, just turn on your computer and ASK FOR DIRECTIONS!

The old stereotype must be true; men really don't like asking for directions. Google street view is one of those new inventions that attest to man's stress of not knowing where the heck they are. So listen to this - - a group of guys loaded up in a van and just started taking pictures -- of everything! They used 360 cameras and digitized their photos, allowing them to be seen online through google maps. With these pictures, you can view street level photographs, take virtual walks by panning, rotating and zooming into the pictures, you can explore cityscapes, landmarks, and points of interests, as well as find shops, restaurants, parks, hotels and more! (www.maps.google.com/help/maps/streetview/) Wow. Ever thought you were missing out on seeing the world? Well now, technology brings it to you. You can walk down a street without having to leave your desk. How will this change the world, besides making us ten times lazier? Well, areas of interest are becoming more and more accessible to us. We have the ability to access all parts of the country through the click of our mouse. We can scout out a vacation spot, or unfamiliar street even before we get there. Amazing, right?