Is it a phone or computer?

I recently took a trip to California and unfortunately lost my brand New I Phone. I previously blogged about how amazing the I Phone 4 was so I was extremely upset after losing the phone. I had apple care but this did not cover loss. So when I finally realized that I was going to have to go without a phone for a few days and be all the way across the country I freaked out. I knew I was really attached to my phone but this just made me realize that I was completely reliant on it for simple things like what the weather is, where to eat, directions, and just all forms of communication. Cell phones hold different meanings for individuals and for me it meant a lot more than just a phone used to make calls when needed. So I felt I had to go get a phone as soon as possible. Luckily, my contract was up and I was due for an upgrade. So when I got to the AT&T store I was set on getting the same phone because I loved it. This did not end up happening. The guy that helped me told me that they just came out with a new phone that had the Android market with more apps and still the 4G service. You also didn’t have to purchase apple care separately and if you purchase insurance and lose the phone you can replace it for only 50 dollars which sold me on the phone because clearly I am very capable of losing it again. He used many different persuasive techniques to persuade me. Like strawman when he said how much this phone was better than the I Phone and testimonial when he said he just got it and loved it. He also

The phone that I got was the Motorola Atrix. This phone is supposed to have the same capabilities as a computer and is one of the fastest smartphone’s out right now. When I first got it I thought that it was way too complicated for me and I would end up returning it but I love it just as much if not more than my I phone. One cool aspect of the phone was that all of my contacts from Facebook were directly synced to my contacts in the phone which is a prime example of convergence. The phone has a huge variety of apps that are free to download and tons of music (which I use my limbic brain to listen to) that I can download for free without having to have I Tunes. I am still figuring out all of the capabilities of the phone but overall it was a good purchase and losing my phone did not turn out to be as disastrous as I thought it would.

http://phandroid.com

GITMO serious about abuse in prisons

Interrogation in Guantanamo Bay

Essential Facts:

-Guantanamo Bay has a military enforcement team called the IRF (Immediate reaction force) who are a “forced extraction team, specializing in the extraction of a detainee who is combative, resistive, or if [there is] the possibility of a weapon…in the cell at the time of extraction”

*while researching this topic I found little to no information on the IRF and what exactly they do. All the Information came from sources outside the big U.S media conglomerates.

-These teams are of five military men who are assigned a body part to restrain. One former prisoner said he witnessed the abuse by the IRF and suffer serious injuries. He also said that he has seen prisoners be “IRF’ed “while praying or refusing medication

-On January 22, 2009 President Obama ordered the closure of Guantanamo Bay within a year but this never happened and the abuse has said to have gotten stronger.

"the total number of Guantanamo detainees to 180. That's far fewer than the almost 800 housed here at the detention centre's population peak several years ago".(PAPERNY)

-The Center for Constitutional Rights have tried to reach out to the Obama administration to end the use of the IRF teams but they have resisted the help of an independent special prosecutor to investigate the abuse claims.

-Even after the pledge by the president to close the prison, one Guantanamo lawyer stated that there have still been claims of abuse that include “beatings, dislocation of limbs, spraying of pepper spray into closed cells, and applying pepper spray to toilet paper”.

telegraph.co.uk

Movie Madness (Media Mediation #2)

Why you should watch movies!

I recently got a Netflix account and have not looked back. I absolutely love it and can’t believe that I haven’t tried this earlier. When I wanted to watch a movie before I would have to rent it for like 5 or 6 dollars and physically go purchase it and return it. Well not anymore thanks to Netflix! With the convergence of movies and the internet we are able to get movies that we want through our computers and our television’s as well as any game consoles. They also will send you movies via mail for no cost. This is a good example of the technological shift from analog to digital because now we no longer have to go and physically buy the movies. Netflix is now advertised everywhere you can buy a television and some TV’s now come with Netflix already built in and all you have to do is sign up which can be done right from your TV. Netflix has completely taken over the way we watch movies. The way they advertise themselves in commercials includes tons of persuasive techniques like repetition of the low monthly price, testimonial of people who love and use it, and humor. Movies are such an important thing in our society these days because they provide a release from our everyday activities and allow for a rest of our neocortex and for our limbic brain to get a little more activity. One thing that I did find with Netflix is that they are very protective of their movies and do not want you to access them without having bought the service or a device in which to watch them with. If you try to hook up your computer directly to the television to watch these movies you most likely will not be able to access them. This is a direct issue of ownership and who exactly gets to decide how we use and what we use to watch our already purchased service. Like the book Media Society touched upon, when large Media companies are in control of their product or distribution, it is called vertical integration (pg44). Although I do believe you should have to pay for the service, you still should be able to use it on any device.

When I first signed up for Netflix I was unsure how to use it but the site was helpful and gave you step by step instructions. Any movies that I wanted to view on my television (which had blue ray capabilities) I had to put on my instant que and putting tons of movies on my instant que I decided to see if there was an app for my I phone that would allow me to watch these movies right from my phone from anywhere!!! This was by far the best way to enjoy new and old movies whenever I wanted. The first movie I started watching on my I phone and didn’t finish then when I went to watch another movie from my television there was the movie I was watching and I could resume it at the exact spot I left off from my phone. I was so excited and knew that this was the new way in which i would be watching movies.

Movies on your smartphone!

http://www.worldtvpc.com

Valentine’s Day with the Celtics. (Media Mediation #1)

Rajon Rondo

Flickr.com

The day before Valentine’s Day my family and I went to see the Celtics play the Miami heat at the Boston Garden. The best part about this game was that we were sitting third row!!! It was like we were right there with the team. As soon as we got there we started taking pictures of the players on the court (mostly of my favorite player Rajon Rondo). The pictures we were taking were not only with our camera but also with our phones. My sister and I both have smart phones and we were making sure to snap photos and send them to our Celtics fan friends. If this isn’t a prime example of aesthetic shift from discrete to convergence I don’t know what is. With this ability to text what in normal circumstances people who are not at the game wouldn’t be able to see we shrink and change the way we interpret time and space. They discuss this in the Media Society book. It stated that “physical distance becomes irrelevant”(Croteau/Hoynes pg 304) with all of the new forms of technology we use today and with the live television which is how the game is broadcast.

While the game was going on we took tons of shots with our phones and watched a great game with the two rival teams. Just like all forms of media there were tons of production techniques used to catch attention of the crowd like lighting and music (which I used the limbic part of my brain to listen to) and some halftime and time out performances by dancers. The best part of the game was when Lebron James from the Miami heat fell onto the guy next to me. Of course I was concerned for the safety of the man because Lebron is not that tiny but the guy was fine and actually quite excited he got so close to him. I was too because not only could I see him up close and personal but I was seen by people who were watching the game as well. I got toms of texts saying I can see you on TV. Of course you might have to have been looking for me or know where I was sitting but I can definitely be seen (see attached video). Overall, this media experience is something that I will never forget and thanks to my face on You Tube and the tons of pictures on my phone I won’t have to!

*I'm next to the guy in the orange hat!*

Script 1: Feed in 60 seconds

Alex: Hey fellow units! Come catch some low grav with me at the Ricochet Lounge. Where the slamsuits are killer and the juice is always floating. Come before the sun gets set and you'll get Richochet Lounge bargain banners all night. You don't want to miss it.

Bethany: Hey, Calista here...last time I was at the lounge it was meg cheap and meg brag. I met my boyfriend there last weekend, and we're still together so...

Jaime: Yea. The boys are meg hott so If you're looking for someone hott to meet, fly up to the moon, but bring your crash helmets unettes...some of the boys slam way hard.

Bethany: Oh... and no riot wear. That's so last weekend.

Alex: Just follow the mass of people when you get to the moon. The lounge is between the Wheatherbe and Crotch and the Hault and Buy. Meg close to the hotel, too.

Jaime: "GET YOUR INFLATABLE SWEATERS WHILE THEY LAST AT BIG Z, WE'LL ONLY HAVE THEM FOR THE NEXT 5 MINUTES! IMMEDIATE SHIPPING AVAILABLE..."

Bethany: Sorry... my feed is on overload with banner bargains right now, gotta go! See you tonight at Ricochet!

C'est moi....

socialwants.com

I am from Fairfield Vermont. A small town about forty five minutes north of Burlington. I recently moved to South Burlington and really enjoy living there. It is a change from what I am used to but I love being close to everything including school.
One Media experience that I had over break was going to watch the movie The Fighter. It was a really good movie and the acting was amazing. I go to a lot of movies at the movie theatre not only because it is so much better to watch movies on that large screen but it's a fun thing to go out and do with friends.
One thing that I like about our Media culture is the creation of smart phones. I recently got the I Phone 4 and I love it. One thing that I dislike would be the fact that people, especially myself are to dependent on their smartphones and often feel anxious or frustrated without them. I find myself getting really angry when I don't have service and cannot connect to the internet on my phone because I feel like I'm lost without it. I honestly do not know exactly what it is that I want to do when I graduate but I hope to move out of Vermont once I graduate.