Democratic revolutions are wonders to behold. The people rise up and force out unpopular rulers, especially rulers governing without a mandate from the people. The recent revolutions in Tunisia and now in Egypt are forcing out unelected leaders and ushering in change. But what protesters need to realize is that in the loss of power
The Paradox of Social Media Revolution
Protests continue to rage across Egypt today, as angry citizens demand the resignation of President Hosni Mubarak. Despite the fact that President Mubarak fired his cabinet, protests continue, and recent reports from the New York Times indicate that some members of the army have been fraternizing with the protesters. Such pressure may force President Mubarak
New Handheld Gaming Devices
In the span of a little over a week, both Nintendo and Sony have revealed the next versions of their handheld gaming devices. Nintendo announced details of the successor to the very popular Nintendo DS. Called the 3DS, the device retains the same form as the DS Lite, but enhances its features considerably. Most notable,
Imported Drugs Okay for Murder
Woe to states who put convicted criminals to death. The American company that manufactures one of the three drugs that 34 states use to murder people has stopped producing the drug. Until this problem is fixed, states are left in a bind. Stop murdering or find another solution. Some have chosen to import the drug
Say “Kno” to being a Kno Campus Rep
The Kno tablet, for those of you not in the “kno” (okay, I’ll stop), is a gigantic tablet computer, available in single and dual screen versions, that is positioned to sell in the higher education market. Offering digital textbooks, the Kno aims to be a book replacement with no compromises, like those present on other
Computer Virtualization for All!
I really think computer virtualization is neat. It works like this: you use a computing device to access a remote server. That server provides your entire computing experience – operating system, applications, everything – all the stuff that your computer normally does, but remotely. And because your computer has to do so much less (as
How Can Facebook Compete with Google?
Facebook is raising private investment money like no other company before. It’s just completed another funding round, raising $1.5 billion and increasing its worth (based on investment) to $50 billion. These numbers are astounding, even more so because Facebook isn’t exactly a revenue machine. Though Facebook does not currently release earnings figures publicly, reports indicate
Considering Commute Productivity
The cold we are experiencing here in Wisconsin got me thinking about using a phone while walking. Specifically, I was walking to the Overture Center to buy some tickets for a performance by the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra tonight. While walking, I saw just one person using their phone. Unsurprising, perhaps, because it’s so darn cold
Social Comparative Processes in Parenting
Amy Chua is all over the internet, it seems. Ms. Chua is a professor at Yale Law School and the author of several books. Her most recent, “Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother,” details her rather extreme views on parenting and discusses how she raised her own daughters by enforcing brutal rules that restricted socializing
Reading Social Science Research Articles
As the semester begins, I’m on a kick of trying to do things differently to improve productivity. So I bought a calendar, made sure I had a back-up to-do list notebook, started organizing papers in folders using a holder that I got for Christmas, and am currently reading David Allen’s book “Getting Things Done” (which
Lamenting the Loss of Oldies
It’s not quite accurate to say I “grew up” listening to my area oldies station. What was on the radio most was Wisconsin Public Radio, so I guess I grew up on classical music, jazz, and news from NPR. But when it came time to listen to music when, say, riding in the car, my
New Semester Scheduling Strategy
Each semester, I square off with scheduling issues. Every day has a limited number of hours, so what’s the best way to make the most of them? Last semester, my schedule changed, as I begun taking the bus to and from school at the same time each day with Lauren, who started working full time.
Expectations for Verizon iPhone
Yesterday, after what was reportedly over two years of working together, Verizon announced that they will soon be selling Apple’s iPhone. The phone is different from versions sold by AT&T, but only on the inside, as Verizon uses a different mobile connection that AT&T; this requires a different chipset in the two phones. There are
The Motorola Atrix 4G
One of the standout products of the recent Consumer Electronics Show was the Motorola Atrix 4G phone. The phone by itself is powerful, with a dual-core processor, 1 GB of RAM, and a big battery. It runs on the Android mobile operating system (albeit launching with version 2.2, rather than the most up-to-date version). But
Could Concealed Weapons Have Helped?
Today the nation mourns the victims of Saturday’s shooting in Tucson, Arizona, that left 6 people dead, including a federal judge and a congressional aide, as well as many people wounded including Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. President Obama lead the nation in a moment of silence and the House Republican agenda has been postponed until next