Saturday, March 31, 2012

Technology Annoyances and Education

Since the day technology was created, it has been ever changing. There is always a new and better version of pieces of technology available. Case in point, I downloaded a new version of iTunes onto to my computer last week; today, I was prompted to download yet another new version of iTunes. How is possible for another new version of iTunes to be available within seven days? Was there something wrong with the previous version(s)? The question now arises: Do I really need to download this new version of iTunes in order for me to download music, sync my iPhone, and so forth?

I feel that Apple is one of the most annoying companies when it comes to upgrading technology (yet, I own an iPhone and an iPad). I know this seems like a contradiction, but it is what it is. Apple, every six months or so, is releasing new a new iPhone, iPad, iPod, or new iOS applications. Is this really necessary? And with every new upgrade, there is a line out the door of every Apple store and store that sells Apple products; but my question is: Is it really worth it?

I have a few family members that had to rush out and get the new iPhone 4S when it made its appearance and are not satisfied saying, the new the iPhone 4 was better. With every new Apple product that is released, there also seems to be a “glich” or some sort. Can’t the people at Apple perfect things before releasing them? What was wrong with the old iPhones anyway? What happened to the old adage: “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it?”

Until recently, one was unable to purchase insurance on their iPhone or other Apple products until recently. Until this new development, if the screen broke on your iPhone, one of the only solutions was to purchase a new one. With as many people vying to be a part of the Apple family, this was a great move for Apple and Apple carriers.

It seems that as technology advances, so do the viruses that can affect it just as human viruses evolve and worsen. Computer viruses are man-made and launched by man. For some people, the desire and want to take others down brings them pleasure and creating computer viruses and launching them fulfills that hole. You would think that with all the firewalls and virus protection scanners readily available, people would use them wisely, but often times, people still get the infamous blue screen or still open email attachments that hack their system.  In order for viruses to deteriorate and no longer exist, computer users need to be educated about viruses and put their new found knowledge to the test.

Technology is on the rise, and with it, more and more people should become aware of the dangers technology brings and should be knowledgeable of how to address technology related issues. Book stores may be going out of style, but those interested in technology should invest time in learning about technology before technology takes over our every day-to-day life.