Would You Buy An iPad?

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Class Meetings Mixed With Technology

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U.S. Is Falling Behind in Mobile Technologies and Sales

When we think of the US and it’s advances in technology we sometimes just assume that we are the most advanced.  I will safely say that until today I thought we were the most technologically savvy country, with the fastest networks and the best mobile technologies.  It wasn’t until I read an article by TECH.BLORGE, which shows data that ranks the United States as the 15^th country when it comes to broadband activity.  It doesn’t stop there though; the United States is behind countries like Japan and Sweden when comparing speed and availability.  Being ranked 15^th shows that we need major improvement with our broadband network and the expansion of it.  The ranking deals primarily with broadband activity which means the US isn’t using mobile devices as much as other countries which I don’t view as a negative statistic.  To some this may come as a surprise because the US is often portrayed as a country full of technology and mobile phone use.

            The most surprising statistic where the US really slacks is broadband speed and price.  Japan leads the way with the fastest broadband speeds at a ridiculous 63.6M bps (bits per second).  Japan by far has the fast broadband speeds but with those speeds comes a very reasonable price at $.13 cents per megabit.  Sweden brings in speeds averaging about 16.8M bps (bits per second) and also has very reasonable prices.  The United States has pathetic speeds at an average of 4.9M bps (bits per second) and has rates that to some seem astronomical.  The US on average charges $2.83 per megabit, which is insanely high for the poor speed.     

            Why is our country so far behind?  A large part is that the US government is yet to mandate the existing broadband providers and they share their networks with their competitors.  This allows the providers to have better speed and reliability as many nations do.  Our government is yet to contribute to the extension of broadband to rural areas and inner cities that need it.  The problem that a lot of inner city residents face is the absurdly high costs is too high for them to afford to install the infrastructure.  People argue that the government needs to act now because we are already weaker than many countries in science and languages.  Being behind other countries, the lack of broadband initiatives in the US puts itself at risk of being less of a competitor in a world that is driven by technology. 

            China is on track to jump in front of the US with the worlds largest smart phone market by volume.  According to Forbes IDC expects China to expand their smartphone market shares by a humungous amount to a 26.8% and the US is dropping to about 18% market share.  China began its assent to the top last year when it surpassed the US in cell phone sales.  A big part of the increase was the drop in cost of the android, which in China was below 200 dollars.  China’s high demand for smart phones is benefitting the Chinese telecom companies and since the phones are made in China it adds to the benefit as well.  China is also home to the largest wireless service provider.  China Mobile is the largest wireless service provider with over 700 million customers, which is 3 times as much as its closest competitor.  China mobile is yet to even take on 3G.  It is primarily 2G and its gigantic network is right now in the process of getting upgraded.  When China mobile transitions from 2G to 3G it is predicted that it is going to greatly expand into an even larger wireless service provider. 

            It is safe to say that the US is lagging when it comes to mobile technology and sales.  I believe that mobile technology is going to have a huge impact on this world.  The US needs to get the upper hand when it comes to mobile technology and certainly needs to increase its sales.  Because of the US’s high prices for wireless service, I think it pushes away potential prospects and buyers of the mobile devices.  With the tough economy, people are struggling to pay bills.  With such high rates for wireless service people are going to cut down on their payments and stop using the service.   We pay almost 3 dollars for a network that is so much slower than other countries.  The value of the product we are receiving for the price that it’s at is not acceptable.  If the US is ever going to expand its mobile technology and the mobile technology market the government needs to get involved.  InterCitys need to start being able to afford these products.

In this video chairman of China Mobile, Wang Jianzhou, talks about China Mobiles expansion.

Balance Is Key

            Hamlet’s Blackberry by William Powers is an innovation.  It is a book that seems to be opening eyes about Internet and technology addiction.  It is evident that the majority of our generation is faced with this addiction, it isn’t necessarily a bad addiction but it is an addiction that can be fixed.

            William Powers said one statement that was spot on in my mind, “It’s a wonderful medium, we can do so much with it but if you use it to excess, I found and other people are finding you wind up in a less happy place.”  This statement says it all, the overuse and the indulgence in the Internet is actually hurting us but we don’t even realize it.  There is only one cure to this issue and the cure is balance.  William Powers made it clear that he had a problem but fixed it with a simple solution.  His family has made an “Internet Sabbath” where they shut off their Internet in their household every weekend.  This allows them to have face-to-face conversations and to really enjoy being around each other.  He said that for the first couple of weeks his family went through withdrawal but after a while it became easy and a necessity. 

            Powers said that devices are making us less efficient at the office.  This statement is very true for some people.  Some people use the Internet and technology to multitask and do more than one project at once.  This in turn actually backfires, people who do this normally get overwhelmed and often don’t finish the projects they started.  In this case the Internet turns on you and becomes a distraction.  I agree with this because this doesn’t just involve business or being in the office but also with schoolwork.  The Internet often sidetracks me and technologies and it takes me longer to complete tasks.  I find that when I try to multitask with homework or do more than one at a time I end up not finishing them.  I find myself being more productive when the Internet is not involved. 

            Katie Couric read some facts out: 59 percent of people check their email while going to the bathroom and 6 percent of people interrupt sex to check their email or text.  This supports Powers arguments that people are truly addicted to the Internet.  If you can’t wait a minute to check your email or phone there is an issue but an issue that can be fixed. 

            There is actually therapy and counseling courses you can take to cure your addiction to the Internet.  Dr. Kimberly Young has been studying cyber addiction since 1994 and has seen the affects on children and families.  Her program is called Digital Detox Rehab, which has many techniques.  With her rehab she sees her patients on a weekly bases and many times it involves families.  To learn more about the therapy you can go to http://www.netaddiction.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=70&Itemid=93.

            William Powers had many interesting and very accurate arguments that I strongly believe are true.  Information given directly to us by technology and by the Internet is now overwhelming our generation; we find ourselves skimming over the surface of the information instead of absorbing the most important things.  The good news about this issue is that it is an easy fix.  William Powers is a very intelligent man and I agree with his arguments and I am personally going to limit how much I use the Internet.