A world run by commercialism: Ads Galore

     We as a society don't even notice how many ads are fed to us on a daily basis. If you listen to the radio in the morning or watch tv, it is guaranteed you were exposed to an ad. Even newspapers are loaded with them. So it is a rare occurrence when someone will voluntarily watch commercials. The Super Bowl is that exception. Advertisers know that millions of people will be watching so they will spend millions on those ads. Super Bowl ads are also often very funny and tend to appeal more to people.
     One ad that really caught my attention was Best Buy's ad with Justin Bieber and the Osbournes. It makes fun at how fast technology moves. With Ozzy styled in Tron-like clothing getting more and more confused as the Gs kept increasing (3G to 4G, etc) Justin Bieber gets switched in (much like Best Buy can upgrade your older stuff for the newer version). They end the commercial comedically by the Osbournes asking what a "Bieber" is and a man (Bieber in disguise) saying "kinda looks like a girl." By feeding into what many people feel and say, they made an ad that was an instant hit. Kids loved Bieber, Parents loved Ozzy, and everyone thought that making fun of how older people "can't keep up with technology" was funny.
    Ads are getting more and more creative now. It's hard to get people's attention so they're becoming more aggressive. Tell me what you think :)

Tina Brown & the new Newsweek

     The magazine industry has been in a decline. While society frets about new technology and innovation, whole industries struggle to survive in our new digital jungle. An example of this is Newsweek. Newsweek recently merged with the Daily Beast in an effort to keep itself alive. With magazines often losing more money than they make it was important that Tina Brown, the editor-in-chief of Newsweek, cut costs. By going green and embracing some aspects of technology, she now uses e-mails (sent from her blackberry) instead of loads of faxes and prints. This even allows for her to cut shipping costs and messengers.Staff has been cut and writers will be paid per article and not be put on contract.
     The struggle to survive also means that in order to compete she will have to deliver fresh, new content. This is evident in the use of space and quality of the new magazine. It is said that it now includes "hot" columns, greater quality glossy paper, and more use of white space. Advertisers find this look to be more energetic and stylish. (Which is a VERY good sign for Newsweek!) A magazine with no advertising will die. By appealing to the advertisers, she is opening up more possibilities for this re-designed magazine.
Not only is the re-design of the magazine catching attention, but this new money-smart and somewhat frugal Tina Brown is. She has been known for notorious spending and loss of money for her magazines (hello, Vanity Fair and The New Yorker). Now she is quite changed, not only were her magazines in trouble, but her career was. Her legend was. I will certainly be interested to see if she can save this sinking ship.
    My look into the magazine industry may have been given to me by watching Ugly Betty, but I know this will be a struggle. But, this industry will not die without a fight. What do you think?

Honeycomb: Sweet Competition for Apple

      For a while now Apple has ruled over the technology kingdom. With it's infamous iPhone, iMacs being used in schools and MacBooks being the most popular computer among students, it is hard to see where other companies can compete. Google has decided to challenge Apple's iPad. Powered by Android technology, it too has a lot of cool apps. It has a 3D visual rendering system, updated video and music capabilities, as well as a home screen that allows widgets. Widgets provide real-time information that are convenient for the users (they don't have to open an app to know what's going on). The notifications aren't as distracting as the ones the iPad has, which makes the Honeycomb more user-friendly.
     Will Android technology beat Apple? Google has been a strong competitor and Apple has been slow to release the next big thing. Maybe it's just our society's blase attitude. We are never impressed unless something is truly innovative. Personally, I will not be purchasing an iPad or a Honeycomb. There will be always be something newer and more cutting edge, so it seems like a waste of money to me. Laptops serve the same purpose as these tablets. Need I remind us all of the netbook craze? They're just smaller laptops with less memory space...and internet can be reached from other devices. Mindless waste of money? I think so. Our society encourages competition, after all one company making all our gadgets just would not be right. So I leave you with this: Who's the new king in our technology kingdom?