Be Right Back

 Be right back was an episode that showed what a human being is capable of going through when we become attached to technology. Becoming attached leads to emotional distress which is harmful to the state of mind.The lady was pregnant and wasn't able to communicate with the father so she decided to buy a robot and share all her thought with it. Doing so eventually made her feel as if the robot was real. The daughter became an acquaintance with the robot after a while and it also began to affect her because in the end, she had created an emotional connection with the robot.The daughter had grown so fond of the robot that she went as  far to hide the robot in the attic.Such an action shows the connection that the little girl had created with the robot.

Rent,Buy, and Save

Rent, Buy and Save 

Rent, Buy and Save is a very effective way of creating a system that makes textbooks available to all students on campus at Christian Brothers University and is more effective than the bookstore because the app works with you, offers good deals, and is a social media source.The bookstore has the chance to take advantage of many incoming freshmen due to freshmen not knowing that books can be bought at a  cheaper price on websites such as amazon, e-bay, and book finder. What separates Rent, Buy, and Save from these other websites is that it is an app that is created solely for students at Christian Brothers University.

  Rent, Buy, and Save will work with you simply by the information that you enter in the app. It makes connection with the people that have the book that you are looking for. The app will also eventually develop a way to show what textbooks each student needs for each course. Having an app that both gives you a list of the books you need and connections is very effective for the Christian Brothers Campus. Starting the school year off, I had help in looking for the books that I needed, but having an app to help me out on where to get the books at a better price would have definitely helped.

  Rent, Buy and Save would offer cheaper prices to its users through the same people that use it.looking at my math textbook by Frank Wilson," Finite mathematics and applied calculus" it has a price of $98.72 and i could've gotten it for a cheaper price from someone else if rent, buy and save would've existed.

Evergreen

I really enjoyed this presentation. It definitely set the bar high for the rest of us. The audience that this presentation set out to target was very well intended. Many people live below the poverty line, but are still not able to qualify for government assistance or aid. I love that this group went out to target that specific group and recognized that they really needed help in their day to day lives.

I thought the presentation covered almost everything without much grey area. The only point of concern that I noticed was the safety of students. I always tell myself not to worry, but in the city of Memphis, safety is a huge issue that cannot always be pushed aside. I would feel more confident in the safety if those participating in the project if there was an alert system or some way to have direct contact to campus safety or even the Memphis police.

I really liked the way that Evergreen's app was set up. It gave the students lots of control over their families, but it was monitored to make sure nothing got out of hand. It also seemed very easy to navigate and have control over.

Rent. Buy. Save

I think the concept of Rent. Buy. Save is a very interesting solution to an essential problem in our college community. Textbook prices are outrageously high and Rent.Buy. Save gave a fully encompassing solution that handled almost every aspect. I really do believe that Christian Brothers university should consider this as a real option in the future.

The only possible problems with the option of Rent. Buy. Save were the new editions and the legal ramifications. I am not fully aware of the legal problems with this option, but it was frequently mentioned throughout the presentation as a problem. I assume that text book companies would not be a fan of this option and would most likely take out legal action against the app's creators by using some loop hole as justification.

The other problem with this solution is text book companies releasing new editions of a text book. Since Rent. Buy. Save only operates with the common books used, new books would be a problem. The first generation of classes that have been assigned a new edition of a book would have to go out and pay for the book full price and then resale the book using the app. While this does pose a problem, the first generation of students having to buy a new text book is better than every generation buying a new textbook.

Overall, I think Rent. Buy. Save is a near perfect solution to the textbook crisis that plagues almost every college campus.

Rent~Buy~Save

  One of my favorite groups was a presentation called Rent.Buy.Save. Rent.Buy.Save is an app that allows students to rent, sell, buy, and trade required textbooks among other students on campus. I think that this is a really good idea. It addresses a really major problem within college life and offers a very effective solution. The involvement of the bookstore seems like a really good idea. That way, both the students and bookstore benefit from this app. Even if the bookstore refuses to cooperate, the widespread use of the app will force the bookstore to lower its prices in order to stay in business.

  The presentation was well put together and was very thorough. I loved how they actually time to do interviews with students, teachers, and even the President, to get their opinion on the app. The group answered questions very eloquently and efficiently. Overall, this was one of the best ideas out of all the classes and I believe that they should have won.

Evergreen

This project is personally important to me because so many people live just enough to get by. People in this situation usually don't really have any options if some financial burden occurs. Even if one does qualify for food stamps, one usually can really get that much food, and one can't really afford to get healthy food because anything that's organic or even conventional fresh foods are comparatively more expensive than the unhealthy bag of potato chips. I believe Evergreen Giving could solve this problem. The program is totally need based, but it takes into account of more than just whether or not some one has a paying job. This project could also provide way to get people out of poverty by giving those who are impoverished access to a variety of job opportunities. This also good for the community of CBU fosters the commitment to service. In conclusion, I think this is a wonderful idea.

Rent.Buy.Save.

Rent. Buy. Save. was a wonderful presentation. The group members each delivered their topic very well. I believe what I liked most about this presentation was how they went out and actually interviewed students and teachers and asked them how they personally would feel about having such an app as this. There are some concerns with safety and the issuing of new edition books, but  overall the app itself shows a lot of promise in actually becoming an app people can use.

rent.buy.save reaction+

I really liked the idea of rent.buy.save because it is a great way that students could idea that could find cheap books and help people find new friends. If this idea was acted upon then it would reduce the profit made except on books with new editions.  This would also make companies reduce there prices because students would not need to buy expensive books when they can get it from a classmates for a reasonable price. Its a two for one, because someone can get cheap books and a new friend in the process.

Couture Essentials

The excess of waste from humans is a major problem.There are so many places that are filled with so many recyclable materials that aren't being used; many of these materials are very hard for the environment to recycle like plastic for example. I believe that this project could be a major game changer in terms of addressing this massive issue with recycling. Basically, people would turn in recyclable materials from their trash; then it get turns into something useful like a dress for example. This re purposing opens the doors for so many new products to be produced. It should be mentioned that the cleaning method proposed would be able to clean more recyclable materials. Often times if anything has food on it won't be cleaned; however that won't be a problem here. There was also a fashion show mentioned. Since this show would be frequent, it would provide the exposure needed for people to know about this. In conclusion, I think that this would get us one step closer to solving the prevalent problem of waste on earth.

I need a Friend4You

I really enjoyed the Friend4You presentation, as it not only pointed out the key problems that caused depression, it did a great job of targeting a specific cause of depression, emotional neglect. The concept of the Friend4You bear was one that I really think could be efficient in actual use; my only concern about the bear was the idea of uploading a person's personality into the bear and how that could potentially negatively-affect the child's condition. Other than that one concern, I was overall impressed with the presentation and I could tell that it was well-researched.

Friends For You

I found this project very interesting. The problem of depression is extremely important but also so hard to tackle. I would have loved to have been able try and come up with ideas to help tackle the issue but it would been very challenging. I think out of all the issues chosen in our class it was the most important one.

The idea is to use a Smart bear to help children who might be lonely or need someone to talk to. A weekly meeting is also required which I think is very important. I believe that talking about issues to the right people can help immensely and being surrounded by other kids that might be having similar struggles as you can help create bonds with other people and help these kids realise they are not alone.

There are some issues with the project. My main concern is that some kids may become too reliant on the bear. I like the idea of having the bear but when it becomes the main source of connection for these kids I don't think it would be very healthy. That's why those meetings are so important and I think more than one a week should be mandatory.

Overall I like the concept of this project. Yes there are some issues but this is such a difficult topic to handle and I think this kind of thing is a step in the right direction.

2 for 1 post

Rent Buy Save in my opinion was one of the best presentations of the entire class. The concept behind their idea did a great job of targeting the specific audience (the students!!) As far as the presentation I fell like it was well planned. Even if a lot of time prior to the presentation not put forth (i mean it's college....time flies....amerite?), you could still tell that there was a lot of effort put forth. As far as the idea I feel like it was very thought through. Every aspect and variable possibility was considered, and I thoroughly enjoyed that.4

Friends 4 U was a really great idea. It really reached out to kids who are constantly singled out, because they are different from others. Even with various social media, the issue is still growing rapidly. With the friends 4 u bear, I feel like it's a great idea, but there are still some flaws that should be considered. For instance a dependence on the bear. Now I know that there are weekly classes for the kids so they can learn to grow with others like them. In a way, I still kind feel like they're being singled out with others like them...if that makes sense. Like, I know that the idea behind it is to surround them with people who are similar to them but, most times when people have gone through traumatic experiences that's not really what they want to be surrounded by...but that's just my opinion. As far as the presentation, you could tell who did most of the work. I liked the personal touch from Nike and her own experiences, however I feel like this presentation really lacked an entire group effort. All of the guys just seemed like.....accessories to Nike's presentation.

Rent Buy Save

This project dealt with the common problem of every college student. I loved the work that was put into this project. Interviewing the president really hit home. This app will help them students who do not struggle financially and the ones that do. This is something for everyone. Yes, this will be an upset of the current system but we need something for us and this could be it.

Rent Buy Save

Rent buy save is an app designed to help students buy books from other students at a lower cost than what can be found elsewhere. It is a good idea because it encourages entrepreneurship amongst students. The group did an excellent job of explaining their proposal, therefore I don't think there is much I can say without being redundant. Good job!

Friends For You

Friends For You is a very helpful program for children with depression. I really like this particular program because it deters children from the stress of one-on-one counseling and lets them confide in a bear to alleviate stress. Teddy bears have always been considered as a child's best friend, so I feel as if this method of venting will definitely work especially for those who are socially reclusive. Many may argue that socializing with a bear will cause social withdrawals, but the program reassures that this will not be a problem. Children will not only benefit socially, but their development of conducting positive conversations will increase as well. Overall, I think the group did a great job with the delivery of their presentation and answering the questions promptly and thoroughly.

Friends For You Presentation

Here's the link to our presentation. FFU Presentation

Textbooks for everyone!!

On Monday we were given a presentation on a group's idea to make an application which will allow college students easier access to better priced, previously used textbooks. I LOVE THIS APP!! The overall idea was very clever being that students already pass around textbooks; so to have an app that works like a social media/GroupMe, giving more people easier, more immediate access to textbooks for their classes, is ingenious. I was especially likened to the idea that students could communicate with one another about whether they would even need to purchase a textbook since many professors assign books but never use them, which brought up an interesting point in class about how professors need to be nicer to their students. One of my favorite (and definitely the most ingenious) parts of their presentation were the interviews. It was so cute to be able to see the reactions of the different people who learned about their idea--from professors to students to President Smarelli. Very cool!! Overall, this group did an exceptional job, covering all their bases with their research and fully thinking through their idea and app. I hope this could actually become a part of the college experience for many students to come. Bravo!!

What I think about Rent.Buy.Save

     Rent Buy Save is a campus based way for students at Christian Brothers University to save money on college textbooks. They eventually hope to spread to other local campuses within the city of Memphis. It works by comparing costs of books to other competitors to see which prices are the lowest and allowing students ways to sell their unwanted textbooks. At CBU the bookstore charges way too much for their textbooks which students may or may not use for one semester. I know for me, since I am an engineering major, one of my textbooks was almost $300 at the bookstore compared to $50 online. The costs of books are way too overpriced so I feel Rent Buy Save is really combating a real social problem.
     I really liked how they delivered their message on their whole mission and their plan to reach their mission. I like how they will donate ten percent of all profits to providing books for orphanages and daycares. I like how they took the time out to actually ask the other students and staff of CBU how they feel about the campus bookstore and got their feedback. They even took the time out to ask the enemy ( the CBU bookstore) itself about the problem and their solution for it. I generally like the idea because it saves the students of CBU thousands when CBU has the highest tuition in Memphis. Their plan was well thought out and could really be seen through. I like how they included a social aspect to their app to get feedback from other students around CBU about whether they will actually use a book in class or not. I thought the quote at the end by the president of CBU was a very unique idea. Overall I enjoyed their presentation it made me laugh and smile and kept me entertained.

Couture Essence Critique

Couture Essence is overall a great idea, and the group did a fantastic job presenting it. They presented a useful way to cut down on America's waste by collecting trash and turning it into fashionable items such as clothing, lamps, beds, etc. The group did a great job of providing information about the amounts of resources we waste on a weekly basis, and they followed that by showing us examples of the types of things that would be created from the trash that they planned to collect.
I think that the idea for making use of resources that would originally go to waste is a good idea, however, I feel like this should only be done with the resources that wouldn't be able to be recycled. For example, instead of turning newspaper into some decorative item, the newspaper should be reused instead only to make more practical items such as toilet paper or napkins. Turning the useful waste into impractical / decorative items would not help with our waste issue, as it would take resources away from people that would make more practical / useful items.
With that being my only concern, I'd say that overall Couture Essence did a great job with their presentation. They made their purpose very clear and they presented a useful amount of information. It seemed apparent that their group planned well for the presentation, and each group member seemed equally prepared.

Rent.Buy.Save. Presentation

Here is the link to the PowerPoint.

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/13spjsrUPF-tgh5qQlcRalj264fskLIbDjR75jAuE8uM/edit?usp=sharing

Pound Dropper

This project is a great campaign for obesity awareness. It also can be the next big thing with workout methods. I feel this way because each workout and meal plan provided by the phone is tailor-made for each individual person based on their information. A person has the opportunity to live a healthy lifestyle. With an app that talks and gives alerts, people are motivated to keep going and doing better.

The process takes time but gradually a person can reach his or her weight goal. Everyone can benefit whether it be the person using the app or the people around that person. A knowledge of the world and good nutrition helps the environment.

Pound Dropper

Obesity awareness was a great social aspect to create an app on. Raising awareness on this issue gives our community a way to fight it. Pound dropper's best feature is the fact that the workout plan can be made especially for the person. It is there own personal diet, workout and more. The next great part about this app was the incorporation of the virtual reality . It brings attention to a different branch of individuals. The steps on taking this app to the next level needs to be thought out a little more. Also the beginning of the presentation needs some work, but over all the project was fantastic! Great Job!

Couture Essence

I really liked couture essence's idea of turning recyclable items into something else. This would help reduce trash that is thrown into the oceans. The concept is great for animals and humans. This is idea could also be a way of bringing the community closer together. Trash in our landfills are affecting the ozone and the overall health of the planet. If we stuck with this initiative to help the recyclable items end up in recycle can then we protect animals from getting hurt in wild because some people don't care where they dump their trash.

Couture Essence

I really enjoyed this project. It allowed me to see the possibilities with recycling. It can also open up a person's eye  to fashion. Another thing is that participating in something like this can expand someone's creativity. The project is very interesting and could very well benefit the community. By giving back to the community and helping with homeless shelters, I really believe in the process that this organization seems to have. The student involvement and volunteer opportunities also draw my attention. They successfully show how they are different from other companies and organizations already out.

The really important part of the idea is that the company recycles trash into everyday items that people can use. The people can learn how to make the items on their own and sell them. The company can really be made successful with full dedication.

"Trash" to Treasure

The Conture Essence presentation was one of great insight and very well-presented. I enjoyed the topic in which they choose mainly because I myself find this topic to be very interesting due to the simple fact of humanity wasting recyclable material. I feel that the concept was well thought threw and the idea was truly unique. I feel that by taking functions from many recyclable waste-related companies, the group had created something completely new entirely. I truly enjoyed he experience of learning of new ways of how to use household items that most take for granted by simply throwing the items away after use. I feel that the idea that this group presented is something that we all should start in our own homes, either by simply recycling the items after use, or using them to create something unique in your own home.  I feel this project, by having the whole community involved, can really make a difference.

Evergreen Giving

Evergreen Giving

It’s a Lasallian Program that would be started right here at Christian Brothers. The program is year round like an evergreen tree. They help those in need of supplies. The program wants to focus on those that don’t meet the requirements to get benefits such as EBT or welfare. Some individuals are put into this bracket that states they should be well off because of their pay. However, some people are living pay check to pay check. Factor cost of living, food, transportation, cost of kids, etc. and some people are barely staying afloat. Evergreen is a program that will help by providing groceries, transportation to those in need, and an emergency fund of up to $5,000. The program will not only help those in need but help those students that have the desire to make change. Evergreen Giving is a unique opportunity for students to get involve with the betterment of people. The program offers benefits to those students such as allowing the program to be a SOS event. Community service is also an added benefit to individual’s resumes. Funding will come from donations, fundraisers, sponsorships. This program is a great start in the direction of change. The first step to fixing a problem is acknowledging that there is a problem. The program can allow character building, networking, and community uplifting. The program could quite possibly branch out to other colleges/universities.

 Couture Essence

After this project was presented I learned a lot. I learned that you could use recyclables to get money. 

I learned that most of the stuff I throw away it is reusable. This project was really good including the audience. Any time recycling is brought up people get a attitude. The thing I get out of this Project is not just recycle but to reuse. 

Obesity Awareness

Pound dropper was an app created to help fight against the obesity epidemic. There were very good ideas behind this app but outside of the usual items that fitness apps offer, in my opinion I feel like the some of the goals for this project in a way were unidealistic, and also from my interpretation of the presentation there are a few “holes” so to say that were not considered. I mean there were a lot of ideas going on, a lot of great ideas, but I’m not completely sure how all of them connect. I feel like there could’ve been a little more thought put into the main parts of the idea instead of the side filler ideas. The videos and stuff were great, but the actual idea itself felt like it still could have some more thought behind it. 

Evergreen Giving: A Bright Idea

     Evergreen Giving is concept dedicated to giving back to local families in Memphis that cannot afford the basic necessities in life such as food. The idea comes from Angel Tree, which is a way for donors in Memphis to give to families in need that cannot afford Christmas Presents for their children. The Angel Tree Adaptation caught my attention from the jump because I have been a big fan of Angel Tree and the WREG Red Kettle Campaign which usually goes hand in hand. Each year over 5,000 Angels (children) around Memphis are adopted and all are given presents which brings smiles upon the struggling parents faces and the little kids that are given the presents and it sends a message to the children that the world is not so cruel as many make it seem. My family usually adopts an Angel and donates money to the Red Kettle Campaign. I just love how generous the people in the Mid-South are to raise over half a million dollars in less than two months and adopt over 5,000 Angels.
     There are many families in Memphis with multiple children that do not qualify for EBT. I do not feel that is fair in no way, shape, or form. Many of the families denied are single-parent households. Imagine being the only provider in the household of multiple children and struggling to make ends meet and to put food on the table and to ask the government for a hand and being denied. Memphis has one of the highest infant mortality rates in America due to malnutrition. Children are not getting the proper amount of food and nutrients they need to survive. Some children only eat the free lunch provided at school and may not even eat again until they get back to school the next day. That is why I feel Evergreen Giving really is a bright idea. They are targeting a common deadly social problem within their local community. I love how they want to start on their campus and get young adults involved into giving back. They came up with a bright idea and an EXTREMELY logical and original way to execute it. I have nothing bad to say about Evergreen Giving at all. They showed the most originality I have seen thus far. Their overall delivery of their idea was both effective and persuasive and convinced me that their project can be the right way to go.

White Bear

    In this Episode of Black Mirror a woman was pretty much stripped of here humanity and turned into an exhibit. The people around her pay to see her mental torment and participate in part of her torture by pretending to be controlled by a signal and filming her all day. She wakes up everyday not knowing who she is or remembering what happened the previous day. This is a punishment turned into a business by actors and facilitators who profit from acting out the same thing everyday. They pretend that all of society is broken and that only a couple of people are unaffected by the fake signal that they created. The actors were three hunters and two survivors who interact with her while they pretend to not know her until the end of the day when they unveil to the women who she is and why she is there. Because of what the woman did, this is what everyone who participates in this sees as justice.

    I disagree with their view of this punishment to the women. Mentally she isn't the same person who committed this moral injustice therefore it is just revenge on the physical body by attacking the psychological portion of her. With them erasing her memory everyday, she isn't capable or remembering what she did. Everyone who participates in this is in my opinion morally wrong because without the woman's memory, there is no reformations being made to the type of person she is. There is no more justice and they are becoming not bystanders but participants in making this woman feel inhuman. The people involved end up being worse than the person she use to be.

Waldo

In this episode a comedian name Jamie was the voice of a blue bear name Waldo and what started off as some thing funny turned into the voice of rebellion.

This episode gives a viewer insight on the way politics are structured. In some cases, it's just a popularity contest. Some candidates don't actually stand for anything. Some only enter into big political races even though they know they'll lose so that they can be a familiar name on the pole for smaller scale elections. Also, in further explanation of candidates not standing for anything, the episode shows how words are used with no substance behind them. There isn't any meaning to most of the things that they say. Important words like "hope" and "change" are used to persuade voters. Sometimes a person might oppose the popular viewpoint of the popular decision just to gain popularity themselves and take advantage of it. At the end of the episode Waldo is in control of the city and only uses the words that catch people's opinions without giving any description or reason to what is being said.

Green Wardrobe

The presentation of Couture Essence presentation was very interesting and I believe it is an idea that could work very well. The idea is basically that you can learn how to make new things out of recycled materials. There would be videos that could teach you how to make these new things step by step. It would help out those in need by not just giving them the things they need, but by teaching them how to make something out of recycled materials that is helpful to them.

This presentation was very well done and I think it was pretty awesome how the group actually brought in an example of what can be done with recycled goods. They had made a skirt out of plastic trash bags. They stated that it was a bit time-consuming but that it was a simple task. I think this could be something interesting that could be done at CBU.

Making Old Like New Again

I love Couture Essence's concept. Not only is their idea genius, but it is very eco-friendly and I, personally, would definitely support their cause. The idea of giving back while simultaneously preserving our environment is simply phenomenal. They are utilizing things that we don’t need or look over on a daily basis and reupholstering and recreating new things in the most creative ways imaginable. What I like most about this particular project is that no one is excluded from donating or being involved in the company and the money is going towards a very good cause.

Each member of the group was well-informed of their marketing strategies and participated equally as far as selling the product. They brought in a recycled skirt to exhibit their work and to give the audience a feeling of involvement. I find that students who interact with the less-fortunate in this particular project would too find it as a great way of socializing while showcasing talents that each person possesses. 

Pound Dropper Critique

      The group that presented Obesity Awareness did a presentation on an app and gym called "Pound Dropper." The app was designed to target obesity wth customized workouts. The idea behind this app was good with good intentions and the issue that was addressed was a very important one. However, I have a few critiques.

   There were some major flaws and uncertainty that made the idea a little iffy. One major kink was the sponsorship proposal. Even though it would be perfect and ideal to have SONY and Wal-Mart sponsor Pound Dropper, it's just that, idealistic. To obtain enormous sponsorships like these would be extremely hard and nearly impossible. So with the sponsorships out, where would the funds come from to run the gym and app. The things they offer seem to be very costly. For example, the coins to redeem food, the gym membership and facilities, the virtual reality workout..etc are expensive. They could charge the customers but part of their mission was to make these services available to everybody, that including low-income people.

 Another big concern of mine was the technology. One incentive to workout were coins that you could redeem to get food. You get 5 coins for every 2 hours that you workout. My question is how the app will be able to tell if you TRULY worked out. The group answered by saying that the app could detect motion. Questions: What if I'm doing non-cardiovascular exercises such as sit-ups, squats, arm curls...etc. What if you play a sport or in an environment that you can't have your phone on you? What if a person just decides to put their phone on top of an operating dryer and just let it vibrate to get coins without actually working out or just sit on the couch and shake the phone? There is still also a big safety and liability concern with the virtual reality headsets and workouts.

  Another factor that was unclear was the uniqueness of their program. There a lot of programs out there that are designed to target obesity and help weight loss. When I asked this question during class, they responded by saying that they are unique because of their custom made workouts and virtual reality. However, there a lot of apps and programs such as Weight Watcher's, MiFit...etc that offers this individual need based workout plan. Also if I wanted a virtual reality workout that involves fake fighting, I could just fire up my Wii or XBox Kinect.

  I loved the layout and the way the information was presented. I thought that the videos were a very good idea and I loved the way that they seemed like actual testimonials. Besides the flaws and descrpencies, this presentation was a very good idea and well put together.

Couture Essence

In the spirit of good competition and fellowship, I am going to go talk about another group’s project. I’ll be talking about Couture Essentials…

                After the project presentation was over I learned a few things. I learned that I should definitely be recycling bottles for money. Being broke is a choice. I also learned that a lot of what we throw away is reusable, and there are recycling companies that put forth minimal effort to actually recycle. The project and presenters did a really good job of educating the audience on an issue that is often ignored. Recycling is often a topic that is viewed with an attitude like “we’ll get to it when we get to it.” The solution proposed was to not only recycle but to repurpose, sell and redistribute to charity. The initial concept was thought out and the research was definitely done.

                The more I thought about the project however, I had some lingering questions. How would people be encouraged to participate in this program? As far as I know, everyone would be there on a volunteer basis. People on whole are pretty self-serving until the holiday season. I also don’t know what the big drawing factor would be for people to see this as more than garbage. The older generations would probably see all the products as diseased and unclean regardless of what is done to it. I know that not every conglomerate in the market will agree with a product, but elderly and middle aged people have a good percentage of the buying power in our market.  Beyond that, I would like to know what this organization has that would overpower someone’s desire to freelance their own repurposed creations from internet/Pinterest instructions.

                But all in all I commend the presenters of this project on their presentation. I enjoyed the visual aspect of the PowerPoint and the physical manifestation.  The ladies who presented this project obviously spent time on it and it shows.

 

Pound Dropper: Powerpoint Link

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1UacqxlvcxozrjJCNh0tXYMUgIjGCamKVjLIbqczYxEg/edit?usp=sharing
Please Let Me Know If Link Does Not Work.

Evergreen 2016

Evergreen 2016 

App
PowerPoint
Website

Easy A

I thought the project on Contour Essentials was very interesting. The concept of their idea was all about recycling, but not in any way I have seen before. According to them, they could take any recyclable item and make it into something cool and useful. I honestly did not know that a person could do this with their recyclable items. I thought the idea of trying to get the homeless involved was a great idea. The world never knows what talent is out their until someone gets the opportunity to prove what they have.
Their whole presentation of their project had my attention. I found their idea and concept very awesome. I easily understood what they were trying to do with their app. During the presentation, they spoke very well and were easy to understand. They showed some of the things that could be made from recyclables which I found were very cool. There were a few items that I wouldn't mind trying to make or have in my house. In my opinion this project deserves and A.

Blocking Obesity

To quickly summarize what I think the main idea behind this app is, I believe they want to tackle obesity with this fitness app called Pound Blocker. Growing up I've played a lot of sports and used these types of apps and also I did a research paper on obesity in the US so I found the idea very interesting. I agree that obesity is a big problem, not just here but around the world. Therefore I think the social issue that they decided to target is a very good and important one.

One idea that I really liked was the coins that could be used. One company they said they would try to work with on this was Walmart. The more exercise people did, the more coins they gained that could be used in Walmart to buy food, that is somewhat healthy. I like this idea because it sets even more little goals to motivate people to exercise. And tying it in with healthy food is important rather than them being able to use the coins for junk food.

I also like the idea that they would try and make every ones personal workouts and diet unique. Because every person is different in shape, age, activity, metabolism etc so its necessary that these workouts and food choices are designed to the persons individual needs. This is something I feel like they should really focus on and advertise because it would be something that I think would attract a lot of people because it's like having a personal trainer right in your pocket.

Although I liked the idea put forward I think there were a few issues. The main one being the cost of everything. It was unclear the kind of price range to be a member of this. Also I think trying to get big sponsors is great but would actually prove to be very difficult. Therefore funding would be a major issues. Because to have unique workouts and diets set out you need qualified trainers. And the virtual reality mod would also be expensive. And then trying to keep membership prices low for people who can't afford it would likely cause a loss in profits.

Overall I liked the idea and think it's a very important topic but I think the cost issue needs to be figured out a bit better, because the whole project if actually put into place would be very expensive and back up plans need to be made in case sponsorship doesn't work.

An A in my grade book

I really thought that Group's 2 project was great. Their project was about trying to recycle but in a whole new way. They wanted to make recycling more fashionable. They believed that you could basically use any reclying item and make it into something very useful.  I loved the whole concept and how they wanted to get everyone involved even the homeless. That part of their project was the best. There are a lot of homeless people throughout the city. I believe that by getting the homeless to help out with the project, would mean that there are less people suffering out there begging for money. This project would not only benefit the homeless but also our planet. It takes about 450 years for a plastic bottle to completely degrade and it takes some even up to 1000 years. Who doesn't want to wear trash?:) This would bring out creativity and imagination in our city, something every adult now a days us lacking. Y'all received an A in my grade book. Nice work Group 2!

Pound Blocker

Pound Blocker is an app designed to assist people on their weight loss journey. Like most of the applications proposed in class, there were a few kinks in their design and idea, which only makes sense since we are definitely not professionals. However, the idea of Pound Blocker has a lot of potential to help people change their lives.  Being a user of several different calorie-counting, exercise applications, I find this particular idea very promising because it goes beyond simple suggestions to custom-designed weight loss plans. The way they hoped to create an app that used your BMI, age, height, weight to make an exercise and meal plan to help you lose weight is ingenious. Many people struggle to lose weight because they don't know where to start or how to go about this difficult process. Their app could eliminate some of those frustrations people deal with. However, the Insanity workout idea was not thought through all the way. They suggested using those simulation-like goggles to make the workout come to life. The main issue with this idea was pricing and exactly who would be paying for all of their ideas. Sponsors are much more difficult to attain than most people believe, which might prevent several of their hopes for this application to become a reality.

Tech Connect

 
   

 
   This week in class, we watched another episode of Black Mirror. This episode was entitled "Be Right Back." In this episode, a woman and her boyfriend live together in a country English townhouse. One day, the boyfriend, while returning a rental van, suddenly dies and the woman is left alone and grieving. After learning she is pregnant, one of her friends hooks her onto a service that allows you to "communicate" with her deceased lover. Eventually, she orders a complete robotic replica of him, which she ends up regretting.

   This episode explored many technological ideas. The one that stood out most to me is the exposure of this society's underlying obsession with technology, social media, and our need to connect with other people. The episode first starts off by showing Ash, the boyfriend, in the car, eyes almost glued to his phone screen. He was so into his phone, that he didn't even see his girlfriend come to the car with drinks. Once they got home, he was still on his phone. He couldn't even hold a conversation or answer her simple questions. He was more focused on posting his old baby picture for a few laughs and likes. Although it is unclear how Ash died, the scene of him looking at his phone while pulling off in the van strongly suggests that his the strong attraction between his eyes and his screen was the cause of a car wreck.

  What was so ironic about this episode was that Ash's addiction to his phone led to his death, which led to Martha's addiction to her phone. After she started the reconnection service, she was never seen without her laptop or phone. She was constantly chatting, texting, and on the phone with him. It became so addictive that when she dropped, she dang near had a panic attack.

  The other idea that stood out was the implied idea that artificial connection through technology is not the same and is not as wholesome as real human interaction. When Martha first started emailing Ash, she was content. But, then, she yearned for more. She started to call him. But, yet again, she earned for a more real connection, so she orders robot Ash. When Martha activated robot Ash, she, at first, was so glad to be reconnected with her boyfriend. But then, eventually, even that connection got distant and played out. Robot Ash, even though eerily identical to real Ash, just wasn't the REAL Ash and it wasn't enough for Martha. This shows the yearn for real human connection in a society that mostly connects through a screen. Martha even says, when Messaging techno Ash, "I wish I could speak to you." Computer Ash replies "What are doing now then? Duh," but Martha replies with, "I mean REALLY speak."

  Overall, this idea exposes technological addiction and how it plays a major role in our daily lives.

Contour Essentials Group Review

   Today's group presentation given by Alison, Kayli, Tara, Brittany, and Lauren was very interesting and enlightening. I will have to say I knew people could collect/recycle trash and certain other things to create cool stuff, but I didn't know that it went out on such a large scale! Newspaper dresses, spoon lamps, sock teddy bears, and ect. All of it sounds just so radical! Honestly after their presentation today, I personally want to begin on a project such as one either talked about in their presentation or one just from on the internet.
   They spoke very audible and well. There was never a moment where I couldn't hear what any of them were saying. The background scheme for their slides weren't to flashy; they had a cool atmosphere to them and weren't really distracting. I thought the group did really well with their information gathering, as far as statistical facts. During the question part of the presentation, I thought they did very well with answering any of the asked questions. They had very detailed and easy to understand replies. Overall the group's presentation was great and I enjoyed it!

Grief Driven

     “Be Right Back” details the life of a woman whose husband tragically ended minutes into the episode. The woman was so engulfed in grief that she found a rather strange method of coping. Initially, she gets this program that texts almost like her husband did. This fueled her to upload all his files into the program so she would be able to further convinced it was like talking to her husband. The program I could virtually be on every piece of technology. She was often caught talking to the program through computer or phone. With the phone it resembled the same voice as the woman. She was offered relief because she felt a little closer to her husband, but she needed more. She invested a hefty amount of money into this “package”. Our later the product came to life. He looked almost like her husband! She became acquainted with the new package until she realized it wasn’t the same as her husband. He had certain habits or details that no one could easily copy. She soon had to rid herself of the product by locking it in the attic. The situation brought to light how far an induvial would go to deal with the pain and grief that they are experiencing. She went to the extreme by basically loving a robot so she couldn’t cope with her situation. If you think about it a lot of people do the same now. Some women can’t handle not being able to not be with a man so they go and buy “toys” that will help relieve them. You learn a valuable lesson in this show. "Grief is inevitable, however, don't allow it to dictate your life."

Man Vs Tech


In the espisode of Black Mirror, it shows how technology is ruling us. It shows how we are so connected to our phones. this century wouldn't know what to do without our phones.  Martha, Ash's her husband who was killed in a car accident. He was texting and driving. That's how most of car accident happened. This woman told her about this texting cite that can talk to the dead. Not literally talk to the dead. Then this program told her about a new this come out it was a robot. The weird thing is it looks like the person that pasted away. So this robot was made to look like Ash.

Close to Being Human?

In class last week we watched the Black Mirror episode called Be Right Back. In this episode, a young woman's husband lost his life in a car accident. She then was introduce to a program where she could "talk" to her dead husband through text and phone calls. This could be accomplished by downloading the app and uploading videos, pictures, and any other social media to the app.
After only a few days, the young lady decides to take her purchase up to the next stage, which was recreating her husband as a robot. This at first seemed to be a great idea because she was depressed and needed someone's affection, but it soon took a whole 360. She began to tell the robot that he wasn't enough; that it wasn't the same as her husband. It looked like him, talked like him, but didn't have the memories or life experiences the husband had.
This raises a question, what does it mean to be human? Is it just having life experiences and having those memories in tact. Because if so, like the robot in the show, it seemed pretty close to that. It was only lacking the memories and life experiences. If the robot had been made to just live it's own life, then maybe it would have been able to develop it's own personality and maybe even feelings towards certain things.

In class we watched a episode called "Be Right Back" this episode poses certain questions about cloning (such as whether or not one can truly clone a person). In the episode a woman named Martha loses her husband. Afterwards, she is informed of a program that would allow her to speak with a clone of her husband. The program does this by recording social media posts, text messages, and etc.  At first, she was reluctant but eventually she chooses to speak with him. As she continues to speak with him she chooses to get a clone of him. In the beginning, everything is great, but problems start to occur. Martha begins to notice the unsettling uncanniness of the clone. While the clone looks and talks like him, the clone lacks personality and emotion. As a result, the clone is unable to truly act like Martha's husband. The clone tries its best to provide a believable version of her husband but he is not able to make responses that are inline with the husbands personality. In this episode, it shows that it is impossible to produce a clone that shares the same memories, hopes, dreams, thoughts, & emotions a person.

We as humans are shown as being no different than the technology we use. We have become slaves to technology, living our lives on our phones and computers. Humans have become more and more like robots. We have become one with our social media filled world. It is both a blessing and a curse. This is because as we keep advancing our world each new innovation makes us more dependent on other technological advances for our everyday life. Our species has slowly become closer to being the robots that scientist try to create. The only real differences is that our emotions come from chemical reactions within the brain, we have to eat, and when we die our bodies decay. However in our daily livelihood we have imprisoned ourselves to routine and all sources of media.

Technology is lonely

How do we separate ourselves from technology? What makes us different from being robots? Humans have emotions, free will, senses etc. We are unique. It's not the one thing, but a combination of things that make us what we are. We are social creatures that thrive when surrounded by others. With todays technological advances, we can always stay connected and up to date on the lives of others. It's amazing and keeps us in contact with loved ones. But does it?

This week we watched an episode of Black Mirror called Be Right Back. A woman loses her partner, who happened to be very active on social media. She was shown a program that can help you talk somewhat to the person you've lost based on their previous social media activity. She eventually puts this program into an identical robot of her late partner. It becomes an obsession almost and a way to try and hold on to the man she loved. She becomes frustrated though because this robot can't behave like her partner would have. At the end she doesn't get rid of the robot but keeps him in the attic.

The idea that really stuck out for me in this episode is that social media does not connect us to people, it doesn't make us feel better. It isolates us and distracts us from what is going on in our lives. Everyday people are walking around with their eyes locked on their smart phones. I have been in situations where a group will be in the same room texting rather than looking up and saying something. Many of us scroll aimlessly through feeds to procrastinate on tasks at hand. Some try to boast a lavish lifestyle. And for what? To make yourself feel better by showing the world how lucky and happy you are? If you were happy would you need to do that? We can message people and post on their walls, but the human interaction is lost this way. We just read words and emojis. We don't get to see the facial expression or hear voice tones or have touch and sounds. We are essentially communicating with robots. And we act like robots by messaging and posting.

The lady in the episode was not able to really feel comforted by the robot because it's just not real contact. We isolate ourselves from the world around us because we have become robots, programed to like, share, tweet and snap.  This online interaction is almost uncanny. It's like you're being social, but never being fully satisfied, and then continue on social media to try and connect with someone. This life is lonely. We need personal interactions, we need those emotions and contact. If we don't have that we may as well be robots.

This article I think in a simple way sums up the kinds of isolation social media can cause.

http://www.activebeat.com/your-health/women/5-ways-social-media-contributes-to-social-isolation/

Man vs Technology: Are They One In The Same

In the episode of Black Mirror ,"Be Right Back", we was shown how technology is becoming an extension of ourselves. This is shown through the character, Martha. Martha's husband, Ash, was killed in a car accident; to cope with the loss, her friend, Sara, told her about and signed her up for a program that allowed for Martha to communicate with "Ash" even after he died. This "Ash" was different, he wasn't the Ash that died but the mixture of all his emails. These emails created a false Ash that can replicate what the original Ash would respond to a given situation. Martha was skeptical about the program at first but eventually she started to see "Ash" as her deceased husband. During the middle of the episode she dropped her phone at the doctor, therefore shutting down "Ash" and she broke down and quickly went home to fix her phone.
Her connection to the synthetic Ash and the incident at the doctor's caused her to take drastic measures to keep "Ash" around. She bought a synthetic body for "Ash" and proceeded to grow closer to this Ash. She eventually reached the point in which is called "the uncanny valley" where she knew that "Ash" wasn't her husband and she started to become upset due to "Ash" not showing all the qualities of her husband. She eventually attempted to get "Ash" to commit suicide by jumping off a cliff near where they lived; when "Ash" was going to do so she became enraged as she believed her husband would have pleaded for life instead of so calmly accepting death. This caused for "Ash" to plead for his life as she wanted. The episode cut to several years in the future were Martha and her daughter live in their home with "Ash" in the attic.
This showed that even with Martha knowing that 'Ash" is not truly Ash, she could not come to let "Ash" go. This showed me even if we know that something looks human and acts human but we clearly know that it isn't human, that we will dealt with the fact that something isn't human if it will allow us to have the person around. By doing so, we are in turn becoming more technological in nature and we are allowing technology to become more human. I believe this to be so because if us as a species are willing to have something replace a deceased human for the simple fact of that person being "able" to be around again, we abandon the humanity in us by abandoning our bonds to the original person and replacing those bonds with something that can never be the person that you remembered. I feels this also paved the way for technology to advance and to grow to the point that it becomes truly "human-like" to the point where no one can tell the difference.

What makes us different from who we are on a screen?

A Reflection on BRB.


The black mirror episode titled "BRB" had some very disturbing and unsettling depictions of what technology can develop into. In the episode, the woman looses her husband, but is quick to fill his space with a software that mimics who he is by looking at his social media. She then orders a robot version of her formal partner, and things begin to go downhill from there. It leads us to the question of "What makes us different from how we prevent ourselves on social media?"

The most obvious answer to this question is that you only present the best part of yourself. Most people do not post their hardships on social media unless it is for support of attention. When something truly bad happens in life, you turn to human connections, not digital ones. But lately in our society this trend has been shifting. More and more people turn social media to update the world on everything in their life. I assume that is why it was so easy for her partner to be recreated by a software. The distinction between who we are and who we are online begins to blur into the same person. We saw this first hand in this episode.

But regardless of how easily he was replicated, there were still parts of him that were not perfect. Though they were eerily similar, the robot was not perfect. This is were the concept of the Uncanny Valley comes into play. When the robot failed to be a perfect representation, it was very unsettling. The truth is, robots can never fully replicate who we are as people. There are so many minuet events in someone's life that make them who they are. A robot cannot learn everything that someone experiences. It isn't able to replicate the emotions, the experiences, and lessons that someone learns. This episode of black mirror depicts that.

Clones vs The Real Thing

In the episode of Black Mirror that we watched in class, we saw that Martha lost her husband in a car accident. She was approached by a friend that told her about a way to communicate with her dead husband. She dismisses the thought at first, but as the show progresses she decides to try it. When she activates the clone of her dead husband , she discovers that his thoughts and emotions are not of her husband. That brings up the question of cloning. Can a person be cloned and have the same purpose and future? No, that is not the case. The clone in the show looked exactly like the husband, but it possessed no thoughts or emotions. It was like a baby . It has to learn as it goes. The experiences were not cloned. Toward the end of the show Martha realized that she would rather have the real thing. She did not want to teach the clone how to do things and love her the way her husband did.

It is the Life in Your Years that Counts

The Black Mirror episode Be Right Back, represents one of the many scary scenarios our society could possibly be a part of in the future…hopefully never. I found many issues with the artificial Ash. It is entirely contradictory to everything that being a human means, and not just because he was essentially a robot. I think one of the things that makes being a human so special, and yet most of the time can be very annoying, is our inventory of countless emotions. It sounds wonderful to be able to take away suffering and loneliness, as Martha would agree, but to a certain extent I think we need to appreciate those states of being for what they are as a part of life. Times of grief, in Martha’s case the loss of a loved one, teach us to appreciate the little things, value the time we have in our lives, and to make the most of every moment. This level of technology is made to try and discount that notion entirely.

After activating the fake Ash, Martha soon realized there was a certain depth to him that was lacking. The software knew most of the real Ash’s behavioral patterns and phrases, but it was missing the out of routine sprits of passion, anger, and all other emotions that give humans soul and vitality.  To try and recreate a person, especially when there is no hope of them being able to adapt to the changes life entails, is completely against nature. This episode also goes to show just how “in-over-our-heads” humans can be, especially when it comes to denial and acceptance.