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[jvkendall-blog]

Text messaging in the U.S. has declined for the first time in American history! Why? Because of the growing number of Americans using Internet-enabled smartphones. 

The average number of monthly texts sent by each U.S. cell phone user declined for the first time in U.S. history last quarter. The average number of sent text messages per month fell from 700 to 675. In addition to this, wireless companies' text messaging revenues were also down for the first time in history.

More than 50% of all cell phones in the U.S. are now smartphones - phones that offer "free" text messaging services. What does this mean? Downloaded apps such as Skype, GroupMe, Google Voice, Kik and Facebook Messenger are all ways to bypass the expensive texting plans that wireless companies offer.

I'm honestly surprised that we've just now seen a decline in text messaging. Now that various social media networks have been around for some time and have become increasingly popular, I personally don't find myself texting as much anymore. It makes me wonder what the future holds for the text messaging service. Will text messaging eventually become obsolete as technology continues to evolve? 

[jvkendall-blog]

New Jersey residents displaced by Sandy will be allowed to vote via e-mail

Residents must first submit a ballot application by e-mail or fax to their county clerk

Attempts to make it easier for those who have been forced to leave their communities and for those workers away from home who are busy with disaster-relief efforts

Displaced storm victims qualify as "oversea voters"

Critics argue that Internet-based voting systems pose security risks

Argue internet-based voting systems are more vulnerable to hacking and other security risks

Opens the door to new forms of election mischief 

This news story provides yet another example of the implications to technology. There are security implications to this new e-mail voting system due to the fact that e-mail is "not at all authenticated, reliable, or confidential." Although recent technology can offer simple methods for solving such problems like this, technology-oriented solutions may not always lead to the right answer. The fact of the matter is that voting through e-mail cannot sustain authenticity, and it increases the opportunity for error in the election process. 

This really puts our technology-dependent society to the test. It also questions technology's value and the role that it plays during presidential elections. 

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Story Highlights:

Study found that Democrats are more likely than Republicans to donate online to the 2012 presidential campaign.

57% of Democrats who contributed did so online, whereas only 34% of Republicans contributed online.

87% of Republican donors donate money offline, whereas only 57% of Democrats donate offline.

The Pew Internet & American Life Project found that Republicans in general are more likely to donate offline and in person, over the phone or through snail-mail. Even in this digital age, however, offline donations are still the most prevalent in society. Donating via the Internet is the second most common way - 50% of the total who donate do so online or through email. 

What I find to be fascinating about the article is that cell phones are still far from a popular contribution method. In fact, only 1% of American adults have made cell phone donations for political candidates. This is surprising due to the fact that we are seeing the cell phone become more and more useful in the everyday business/technology world. These days, almost anything can be done through a cell phone. It makes me wonder what the reasons are for the very small percentage of cell phone donations made to political candidates among American adults. 

[jvkendall-blog]

(Chane Stapleberg of Pretoria, South Africa, found this bunny after #Rabbit4Nic went viral in her country.)

A 9-year-old South African named Nic recently had thyroid surgery and lymph nodes removed. Within the next few days, Nic is undergoing radiation therapy in order to rid his body of any remaining cancer cells. Nic plans to have his stuffed animal rabbit by his side during the operation. Unfortunately, the radiation that's released during the surgery means that Nic's rabbit will have to be destroyed because the rabbit will become radioactive and harmful to Nic. In response to this, Nic's father wanted to find a replacement rabbit for Nic post therapy recovery. He turned to social media (Facebook) to find a #Rabbit4Nic.

Due to the power of social media and its ability to expedite the spread of information across various communication contexts, the interactive community joined together in an effort to help Nic.

Nic's story made its way from Facebook to Twitter.

People throughout South Africa spread the word and soon the hashtag #Rabbit4Nic was trending in South Africa.

Social media users then reached out to national radio stations while a family friend blogged about the story. Eventually, local media picked up the story.

A popular South African magazine then made an effort to find a replacement rabbit by sharing the original Facebook post.

In a country (South Africa) where the effects and impact of Twitter is still catching on, users realized its potential through this remarkable story. This serves as an ideal example of how social media can bring about good things in our world during the new digital age. 

[jvkendall-blog]

The iPhone 5 has been Apple's greatest success so far, selling 2 million phones in the first 24 hours and 5 million over its first weekend on the market. Along with its popularity, however, have come many persistent complaints. Many are complaining that "a burst of purple is showing up in their photos" when there are strong sources of light in the photos. Apple's response is that it's "just a part of how the camera works" and that it's "normal behavior for iPhone 5's camera." This behavior is due to the 5's new iSight camera that features a sapphire crystal lens cover that's thinner and more durable - it provides the ability to "provide crystal clear images."

As an Apple customer who was considering buying the iPhone 5 soon, I'm now having reservations. The iPhone 5 is receiving a considerable amount of criticism. Do I really want to give up my iPhone 4 that's worked perfectly well so that I can have the 5 that's apparently causing problems for many? I have mixed feelings now. Besides, who wants a camera that provides crystal clear images, but with a purple tint? I certainly don't. 

Maybe it's best not to dive right into making this purchase. Instead, it might be a good idea to sit back for a month or two and let Apple resolve all these issues. It goes without saying that the most recent and updated technology is not always the most sufficient. Just a little food for thought!

[jvkendall-blog]

Facebook users are recently concerned about their user privacy rights due to rumors coming from French publications. Users around the globe are worried about their personal and private messages appearing publicly on Timeline pages. The social network denies these claims, saying that these messages are actually just older wall posts that are now made more available to the public eye because of the new Timeline layout that allows easier access to older information. Facebook claims that these rumors have circulated because members new to Timeline are confusing old posts for private messages.

First off, I think it's pretty startling that rumors like this even come around. Clearly web privacy has become an international issue that's causing much concern for Internet users. I already hate the fact that almost anything I do on the Internet can be tracked and/or used as public information in some way. But the fact of the matter is, we live in the digital information era where avoiding Internet use is almost impossible. Although it's unfortunate that you may have to censor any information you release onto the Internet, it's a necessary precaution to consider. Since I'm graduating in December and am currently in the middle of the job search process, I need to censor any information or images I put on my Facebook page so that I'm not portrayed in a negative way to employers. It's lousy in a way because a Facebook page was originally meant to give people the opportunity to express themselves and reveal their identities and/or personalities on a larger scale so they could connect to other people and find friends. But times have certainly changed. I'm not able to express my true self 100% for the fear of being negatively portrayed to employers and not getting hired.

There's a hidden, underlying lesson in this article that I'd like to point out. That is, Facebook makes too many updates and changes to the network causing user frustration. This is clearly the reason as to why these rumors started in the first place - how to use Facebook is confusing because it seems like the methods for utility change almost everyday. This all relates back to another key characteristic of our digital information era - technology constantly evolves. We must keep up with its changes if we want to survive (for lack of a better word) in this generation.

[jvkendall-blog]

This article summarizes how the ubiquity of mobile devices is radically changing the marketing industry for online businesses. More specifically, the shift to the smaller screen of mobile devices leads to implications for global marketing companies (WPP and Omnicom) and Internet companies (Google and Facebook) since these companies’ revenues mostly come from online advertising. Basically, since more people these days use their mobile devices to access the Internet, this shift to smaller screens has the potential to hurt or destroy the digital marketing industry (online marketing).

This article is relevant to class material as it focuses on the idea that as of not too long ago, the change in information literacy from print to multimedia was the primary concern for businesses. The article suggests that businesses are more recently concerned with how information literacy of multimedia is extremely dynamic and constantly changing. In today’s information-conscious world, it is important for our generation to understand how those who are adept at organizing, retrieving and evaluating information fulfill a vital role. Many of us may go beyond our academic careers and pursue a job with one of these digital marketing businesses. Knowing how to evaluate and respond to these problems that arise from changes in technology is becoming increasingly important. I think although it’s unfortunate that most businesses constantly have to re-construct the way they conduct business simply because of technological change, it’s simply a reality they must deal with in our information-dependent, global society.

[jvkendall-blog]

This article summarizes the recent public criticism of the new Apple iPhone 5 adapter. The iPhone 5 adapter is necessary for connecting the phone to old docks, alarm clock radios and speakers. Many criticize the high $30 price placed on these adapters. Critics are not only outraged because of the adapter’s high price, but also because the adapters don’t support video or a feature called “iPod Out.”

This article is pertinent to our IMS class because it focuses on a variety of themes we’ll discuss this semester where new communication and information technologies profoundly affect the community. In this digital age, the most current/advanced technological devices are viewed as commodities. While many people criticize the price of these adapters, these same people can most likely succumb to the idea that having the new iPhone 5 is essential - they’ll go ahead and purchase the adapter anyway, despite the high price. Technologies constantly evolve and develop to surpass older technologies, and accommodations must be made. It goes without saying that keeping up with the newest technology will evoke an expensive lifestyle.

[jvkendall-blog]

[jvkendall-blog]

This article starts by describing how around 10 years ago, many were unsure that a wireless revolution was to come. And now, 10 years later, media companies around the world are seeing businesses redefined by mobile technology. Ten years ago, the mobile Web was simply a browsing experience that consisted of "grayscale text displaying basic information such as weather, sports scores and news headlines." It wasn't until 2008, the year after the iPhone's debut, that media companies and businesses started to really realize the mobile phone's maximum potential. And now, we are living in a mobile movement that "constitutes one of the most profound changes in consumer behavior in our lifetime."

This article pertains to our class material as it focuses on new Web technologies and social media. IMS 201 is undoubtedly an important class because it focuses on these realities that are increasingly relevant and connected to today's business world. In other words, by revamping our technology skills in this class, we'll become better prepared for the business world after graduation. I personally find this article to be interesting because it summarizes how the mobile revolution is changing almost every facet of our lives - it's redefining what a magazine is, or what a TV is, for example. I personally like how I can now easily and immediately access all sorts of information through my mobile phone. However, our mobile society today raises the "invasion of personal privacy" issue - an issue that we all need to be aware and cautious of. 

[jvkendall-blog]

This article explains how most cell phone users are aware of mobile privacy, but many don't take the necessary and basic measures to protect it. Essentially, many Americans are concerned about their privacy since current mobile phone technology can reveal a lot of personal information about their users. For example, certain apps, if downloaded, can collect personal information that individuals don't want to share. This article is pertinent to class as it relates to recent concerns about mobile/web privacy issues. Also, this can relate to a topic we'll discuss in class -- how new communication and information technologies affect the community by now having the ability to easily access private/personal information. 

[jvkendall-blog]

This article is pertinent to IMS201 as it clearly focuses on two of the social media networks (Twitter and Tumblr) that we as students will learn about and use throughout the semester. The article explains how Twitter has restricted the ability to "find Twitter friends" on Tumblr and this topic relates to one of the course goals: knowing how to use information tools (social media networks) that now play a vital role in the global society. The article also relates to the idea that social media networks are now  interactive with each other, and this is why Tumblr is outraged over the fact that Twitter wants to become more private and independent by eliminating Tumblr's access to "find Twitter friends."

[jvkendall-blog]

This video most likely went viral because it shows an unconventional yet fun wedding ceremony with Chris Brown’s “Forever” being the theme song. You really can’t help but smile while watching.