Technology

 

Teenage Dilemma: Need a new phone? 

By Jessica Wei & Xuran Zhang

November 3rd 2014

iPhone 6 and Galaxy S5 are the two largest information technology phones in the electronic product’s market. The main advantages of Android are that they are an open source operating system so almost anyone can create apps for. The number of apps grows faster and there are many free apps. Apps can do more because there have less limits on what apps can control. The Android can run many applications, it means you can browse, use Facebook while listening to music and the galaxy S5 is cheaper than the Iphone. Furthermore, iPhone 6 and Galaxy S5 have similar characteristics.The iPhone 6 battery life can last for 14 hours of talktime on 3G and will shut down the most vital functions. Moreover, the iPhone 6 has 16GB, 64GB and 128GB storage variants and there are many new features such as the improvement of software, screen, keyboard and camera. Overall, iPhone 6 and Galaxy S5 have their own special functions and design styles, actually, what you prefer will depend on which feature you like the most, so which is best for you?

 

 

Technology Tips with Turple

By Shefaly Ray

November 3rd 2014

The use of technology has rapidly spread across the world and among people of all ages. Nowadays, we see toddlers, children, teenagers and adults using all sorts of technology in their daily lives for plenty of different reasons. Recently, we have interviewed Delia’s secondary ICT specialist Ms Cris Turple, about the use of technology. Ms Turple has provided us with her opinion on the pros and cons of using technology, as well as some applications that can be used on different gadgets.

 

    One of the main gadgets that Ms Turple uses on a daily basis, which most of us can definitely relate to, is her smartphone. She states, “like many, I feel lost if I have forgotten my phone at home or if the battery is dead. I use my cell phone to stay in touch with others through WhatsApp, check my Gmail, Skype my family back in Canada, and listen to music via Jango or SoundCloud. Very often, I look up directions on Google Maps while I am trying to find my way around Hong Kong. I am also a habitual Google-er, meaning I am constantly searching for answers or advice on Google whenever something pops into my head.”

 

    According to Ms Turple, one of the advantages of having and using a smartphone is “the capability to access the internet from anywhere. I feel very fortunate to live in a place that allows freedom of information (and has affordable data plan prices). Many things became instantly easier upon purchasing a smartphone - staying in touch with friends and colleagues, keeping myself entertained while on the MTR, finding answers to my questions, and so on. I guess it makes phone calls too.”

 

However, with advantages come disadvantages. Some of the disadvantages that Ms Turple has identified are “giving up anonymity and certain privacies. Most websites use cookies to track a user’s web browsing. Even more, mobile apps often are coupled with terms of use which grant them access to the data on your phone and even to your camera as many outraged Facebook users recently discovered with the new Messenger App. Yet, these sorts of permissions are very common with mobile app - especially the free ones. We need to be careful what we post, send and search on our phones as nothing is truly private and information lasts forever online.”

 

Another gadget that Ms Turple regularly uses, along with the rest of Delia’s students, is her Lenovo laptop. She says, “many are aware that I am also a huge advocate for Google apps and tools. I install many different Google Chrome extensions on my laptop like AdBlock, Web of Trust and Google Translate. I further use Google Drive and Calendar on a daily basis, and enjoy learning about the seemingly constant technological advances Google is pumping out.”

 

Just like our smartphones; using our laptops also has its gains and losses. One of the assets of using laptops for Ms Turple is “access to the internet. I am an active independent learner who enjoys watching online videos and reading forums to learn about a topic I am interested in. Learning is so much easier now with the use of laptops. Furthermore, I like that all of my devices are connected through my Google account, so which device I am using does not really make a difference anymore. Since all my devices essentially can complete the same tasks, I now choose to use a device purely based on the size I want or need in any particular situation.”

 

Although there are many benefits to using a laptop, there are also many drawbacks that Ms Turple has pointed out. “I can spend hours a day in front of a computer screen which has a negative effect on my body and social interactions. Sometimes my hand hurts from using a mouse for too long and my eyes ache from staring at the screen. I also feel like I talk to other people face-to-face much less since I started using so much technology. Much of what would have been a conversation, I now send in an email, post as a Facebook status, or send as a text. We have less to say to each other because we keep updated on others’ lives through the use of technology.”

 

At last, we can conclude that technology has definitely transformed many lives, as it has advanced tremendously throughout the course of this generation. Moreover, be sure to remind yourself to use technology for the benefits; after all that is the reason why we use machines in the first place. However, we should be mindful to not overuse technology, for the benefits might leave us oblivious to the damage being done to ourselves. As a final point, Ms Turple says, “it is important to find the balance between using technology, while still socializing with others in person.”