brann038

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• Posted Networked to WRIT 3577 - Spring 2013
  The data on the distribution of internet users by age and the time shares of the top 10 internet hotspots that Rainie and Wellman chose in chapter 5 of Networked caught the majority of my attention from this week's readings...
• Posted How Much Does Data Sleep? to WRIT 3577 - Spring 2013
  Blum's excursion to the Dalles in "Where Data Sleeps" made the clearest connection between the internet and the physical world. Through his explanation of how geography has played a pivotal role in determining where the data we chose not to...
• Commented on The Corrections (a selection) - Jonathan Franzen; "Not Just One Future" - David Nye
  The idea brought up by Franzen that technology that is not in fully functioning on present standards must be discarded is engrained in society today. What we seek in technology today is similar to what the parallel wiring of the...
• Posted Hulu Boosts Arsenal to Brannan's Blog
  Hulu announced Tuesday that they will add 7 new shows to its service and tweak its advertising policy. TechCrunch reported the shows being added are "Battleground," "Up to Speed," "A Day in the Life," "We Got Next," "The Awesomes," "Don't...
• Posted UN To Deploy Observers To Syria to Brannan's Blog
  Officials on The United Nations Security Council agreed to increase U.N. observers to 300 on Saturday in order to watch over the cease-fire. CBS reported that this increase adds 270 observers to the 30 already in Syria, marking a drastic...
• Posted Local Boy Dies In Dirt Bike Accident to Brannan's Blog
  A 9-year-old boy died Friday evening after crashing his dirt bike at a tack in Anoka County. Lt. Paul Lenzmeier, from the Anoka County Sheriff's Department told KARE 11 that Engler was found wearing the correct equipment for the sport...
• Posted NFL Executive Talks Stadium In Minneapolis to Brannan's Blog
  Talks over a possible new Vikings football stadium continued on Friday morning when Governor Mark Dayton met with NFL commissioner Rodger Goodell. Goodell's visit comes after the abandonment of the Arden Hills stadium plan and amid the push for a...
• Posted Brooklyn Park Peace Walk to Brannan's Blog
  Members from the Brooklyn Park community took part in a peace walk on Saturday evening in remembrance of the three victims from a homicide on April 9th. Police told Fox 9 news that they believe the killing of 59-year-old DeLois...
• Commented on "Liking is for Cowards. Go for What Hurts" - Jonathan Franzen; "The Serfdom of Crowds" - Jaron Lanier
  Liking is for cowards brought up an interesting idea on how the internet can influence our passions. I would agree that because of the internet's ability to provide us with access to information on almost any topic it is almost...
• Posted Mike Wallace Dead At 93 to Brannan's Blog
  Mike Wallace, Anchor of CBS' 60 Minutes, died Saturday in a New Canaan Connecticut care facility. His accomplishments included leading 60 Minutes to 23 seasons in Nielsen's annual ranking of 10 most popular programs, reported the Los Angeles Times. Jeff...
• Posted Minneapolis Occupy Movement Resurgence to Brannan's Blog
  Protesters of the Occupy movement took to the streets of downtown Minneapolis Saturday night in efforts to revitalize the movement. Police told the Star Tribune activists blocked streets and intersections while carrying tents and a canopy. Lindsay Radford, KSTP news...
• Posted Irish Village Embraces Titanic's Sinking to Brannan's Blog
  Sunday residents of two Irish perishes started a week-long list of events commemorating their loss of 11 villagers in the sinking of the Titanic. Irishtimes.com reported the festivities are to include retracing the ticket purchase of the lost villagers at...
• Posted Howard Theatre In D.C. Returns After Hiatus to Brannan's Blog
  Historic Howard Theater in Washington D.C. is set to reopen on Monday after a vacancy stretching back to the 80s with a performance by local rapper Wale. Renovations to the theater totaling $29 million centered on restoring the appearance it...
• Posted Gary Tinsley Vigil to Brannan's Blog
  Students of the University of Minnesota Twin Cities campus held a candlelight vigil for late football player Gary Tinsley on Friday evening. Tinsley's former teammates and students gathered in a crowed of about 200 for the vigil held by the...
• Commented on "Social Network Sites: Definition, History, and Scholarship" - d. boyd; "Anti-social Networking?"
  Being a youth that spent most of my time from 12-18 years old bonding with my friends over the internet or playing video games I found the "Antisocial Networking" article discussed interesting points. I think what "Antisocial Networking" is trying...
• Commented on "The Net Effect"; "Post Secret"; "Breaking Up in a Digital Fishbowl"; "Growing Up Digital..."
  I think “The Net Effect” broadcast hit some pretty key points on how the internet if changing our lives and how we think. It’s not that were getting dumber, but it’s our over arching willingness to multitask with the use...
• Posted Apple Deals With Second Lawsuit Over Siri to Brannan's Blog
  A new lawsuit has been filed against Apple on March 27 in California for its depiction of the capabilities of Siri. David Jones, a iPhone 4S owner, filed suit against Apple over false and deceptive representation of the features that...
• Posted Starbucks Looking To Expand Chinese Market to Brannan's Blog
  The coffee giant Starbucks Corp. intends to triple the number of shops and employees by 2015 the company reported at the Boao Forum for Asia on Sunday. MarketWatch reported that Starbucks Corp. plans to expand it's current 500 stores to...
• Posted Groupon Reports Lower Revenue In Q4 to Brannan's Blog
  Revised financial results for Groupon Inc. released on Friday showed a $14.3 million decrease in revenue. After the reassessment Groupon's quarterly revenue lowered by $14.3 billion, or about 4 cents per share, reported the Associated Press. Groupon Inc. told the...
• Posted Minnesota Corn Planting On Record Pace to Brannan's Blog
  Farmers in Minnesota show signs of planting a record acreage of corn this year. Corn crops will cover an estimated 8.7 acres, which is up 7 percent from last year, reported The Startribune. The Startribune also reported that the rise...
• Posted Prairie Island Upgrade Under Discussion to Brannan's Blog
  A plan to upgrade the Prairie Island nuclear power facility has been stopped by Xcel Energy Inc. on Friday until the project in reassessed. Forecasts of lower energy demands and the lower than expected cost of natural gas lead Xcel...
• Commented on "We are the Web" - Kevin Kelly; "The Web Means the End of Forgetting" - Jeffrey Rosen
  I felt like the Kelly article, while not specifically focusing on it, highlighted how users of the Internet really made the contributions to it that made it grow into the successful medium that it is today. I think the fact...
• Commented on "Why I Am Not Going to Buy a Computer" - Wendell Berry; "No Country for Old Typewriters...." - Patricia Cohen
  I think Berry's perspective of computers is as dated as his essay is. When he talks about how switching to a computer for his writing needs would make him remove his wife entirely from his writing seems to me that...
• Commented on "What Computers Mean for Man and Society" - Herbert Simon
  I found Simon's interpretation of how computers are used to be slightly out of date. While business uses and scientific uses for computers still make up a large portion of their uses, I would argue that computers are being used...
• Posted Facebook Privacy Policy Update to Brannan's Blog
  On March 22nd Facebook ended the user comment stage on the upcoming update to its privacy policy. The update is set to include more clear language regarding use of the Facebook application on mobile phones and the ability to let...
• Posted Masami Matsuda Dies at 89 to Brannan's Blog
  Masami Matsuda, the gardener who designed the Japanese garden in St. Paul's Como Park, died in February at 89. A Buddhist ceremony will be held this week in Nagasaki to mark the 49th day after his death, JoAnn Blatchley told...
• Posted Rabbi Moshe Hager, Leader Of Viznitz Hasidim, Dies to Brannan's Blog
  Rabbi Moshe Yehoshua Hager, leader of the orthadox sect Viznitz Hasidim, died March 14 at 95. He had been suffering from Alzheimer's disease, Alexander Rapaport told The New York Times. Rabbi Hager participated in Israeli politics by discouraging the view...
• Posted The Mr. Behind Mr. Coffee Dies to Brannan's Blog
  Samuel Glazer, co-founder of the company that brought the world the automatic drip coffee machine, died on March 12 at 89. He died from complications from leukemia, his wife, Jeanne told The New York Times. Glazer served in the Army...
• Posted Philanthropist and Newspaper Owner, John Cowles Jr., Dies to Brannan's Blog
  John Cowles Jr.,a Minneapolis newspaper owner and philanthropist died in his home in Minneapolis on March 17. He died at 82 and had lung cancer, his son Jay Cowles told The Washington Post. Cowles Jr. helped form Minneapolis into the...
• Commented on "Telegraphy--the Victorian Internet" - T. Standage; America Calling - Claude Fischer (read 33-53); "Mobile Telephony..." - Imar de Vries
  I found the readings very interesting on the telegram because I had never taken the time to think about the impact that it had on society as it was implemented. Maybe this is because I am so accustomed to the...