Summarizing Two Articles From Group #4

Well today September 11th, 2009 Group #4 presented their four articles to the class, and like last class we discussed all four articles that the group had presented. The four articles that they had were "Where PHones in Class Are Ok", "E Campus News", "How to get schools out of the 20th Century", and finally "Al Gore: Should schools be wired to the internet". They were all interesting articles, but I would like to summarize and discuss two of them. Those two are "Where Phones in Class Are OK" and " E Campus News". "Where Phone in Class Are OK" was a article about students learning how to create apps for the iPhone in class courses. You would never think that their would be a class at a University that was created to make apps for the iPhone. It says that the stupider the app, the more sales you get. For some odd reason people like to have the stupid apps, rather than the important ones! Haha! For example, their is an app which is called the "Party Music Strobe" which shines a strobe light to the beat of any song! Another one was called "DoGood" which is you do a good deed once a day. Believe it or not, this app was downloaded about 500 times a day! Wow! The students that create these apps can net more than 1,000 dollars, only downfall is that Apple keeps about 30% of that. This class is not required, but students take it for the learning experience, a future career, and a way to make money. Last but not least a New Jersey student didn't know what he wanted to do with his life, but turns out now that he is being paid to do apps for the Blackberry! To me its quite amazing how technology is becoming so advanced, and how apps are being created by students like myself! Overall though this article I really enjoyed! The other article that I would like to discuss and summarize about is "E Campus News" about new iPod rules touch off heated debate. This article is saying how the University of Missouri is requiring for incoming students to have an iPhone, iPod, Touch, or something relatively close to that. People are complaining how they are making them buy the devices themselves. At Abilene Christian University, they gave away free iPhone, yet you still had to pay the monthly rate. However at the University of Missouri, you have to pay for the device and the monthly rate! Thats ridiculous in my opinion, what happens if I already have a good phone? Or if I couldn't afford to buy it? Those are questions that I would ask them. Votes pertaining to this argument are 40% in support, and the 60% against it. They do say the $229 charge to buy the device would be in comparison of two or three books. Honestly though, I would hate having to learn off of my iPhone!! I don't think I could be focused enough, and I'm a visual learner not off the phone type. I wouldn't go to a university for that particular reason. Anyways those are summarizations about the two articles, and my point of view. Hope you enjoy it and have a good weekend! :)