Texting Down a Bad Road

“Back in my day, we didn’t have cell phones.” I know I’m not the only one who has heard this same spiel from my grandparents, aunts, uncles, parents, and teachers. Of course, I have my comebacks and witty replies. However, believe it or not, there is logic to this saying. “This is just a different generation,” some say, “with different needs.” Since when has texting been a need? It sure seems like a need, considering some teens (including me) text while they eat, talk, run, walk, sit, wait, play, work, test. Some students are risky enough to text while they drive. That’s... Read more

iPad soon to be released

From the iPods, Mac notebook computers, iPhones, and now to the iPad, Apple keeps on creating revolutionary technology since the 1970s.  According to www.apple.com, the iPad will soon be released April 3 at an unbelievable starting price of $499.  Although it will released in stores April 3, anyone will be able to pre-order the product Mar 12 at the Apple Online Store or to reserve pickup at any Apple Retail Store. According to the apple store, the 9.7 inch LED-backlit, multi-touch screen on the iPad is based on the same technology used on the iPhone.  However, the technology has been reengineered... Read more

New iPod nano makes for a nifty little gadget

The latest version of Apple's iPod Nano comes equipped with updated features including an FM radio, video camera, and built in speakers. After receiving a fat check for Christmas this past holiday season, I decided to use my new found wealth to get a new iPod. I already had an iPod that I got for Christmas 4 years ago. That trusty old iPod was getting old from overuse. One of the main reasons I decided to get a new iPod was because, being an intense music lover, I needed more memory space. My old iPod nano only had 2 GB of memory. Translation: it held roughly around 500 songs. So I got the... Read more

Texting takes away from reality

As technology progresses I have noticed that students (and even adults) will do anything to stay in touch with people through the school and work hours. Students texting under desks or even trying to find a new way to unblock their Facebook. Sometimes you can even catch an adult, who is supposed to be working, texting away as if there is nothing wrong with what they are doing. In the work world I do not think that students will be able to handle real world confrontations with their coworkers, bosses, and even clients. I cannot help but wonder what the work environment will be like as I grow older.... Read more

Websites of the Week

For the Academic www.copypastecharacter.com/ Sick of trying to figure out how to type an accent? An interrobang? A copyright symbol? Please, for the sake of your precious computer, stop pounding your keyboard and use this website to copy any symbol you want right off the home page. For the Academic Time-waster www.postcard.fm/ This is way more fun than just sending someone a friendly email or Facebook comment. Select your own picture and background music and send ‘em a digital postcard instead. For the Time-waster www.fsk.deviantart.com/art/Line-Rider-beta-40255643 Draw a... Read more

Texting could be detrimental distraction for students

Fingers swiftly striking keys. Send. Text messaging has rapidly become a vital form of communication for high schoolers. Whether at lunch, on the bus, or even during movies, students’ phones seem to never leave them. It’s no secret that cell phones are nearing the point of necessity in modern society. Sure, technology has come a long way, but just how much is too much? Text messages are used for just about everything. Someone can find out when soccer practice starts, what the Spanish assignment is, or even whether the new Boys Like Girls album will be worth listening to. However, at some... Read more

Piano lab gets a makeover

Students perform on out-dated keyboards. The keyboards often malfunction, but were recently replaced with new, higher quality Yamaha products. A key thunks down on an out-dated Yamaha keyboard, and the player can’t hear a thing. It’s not because she’s wearing headphones, but because the 13-year-old keyboard has finally fizzled out. But not to worry. For the first time since 1996, new equipment is being installed in the piano lab. Piano teacher Debbie Wittstein is elated. “The whole classroom experience is going to change,” she said. Caught in a land of funding limbo,... Read more