ANUSHKA LAKUM
ANUSHKA LAKUM
ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR Technology
The Portfolio April 2016
ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
Entertainment
Page 11
existence that is not bound by the confines of physics.”
Google self-driving car crashes into bus New drone races increase in popularity By Madaleine Rubin Co-Editor In Chief irtual reality headsets secured on tightly, controllers in hand, and drones whizzing by every second. The sport of drone racing utilizes all of these high technology elements to provide gamers with a blast from the future, rather than the past. According to myfirstdrone.com, drone racing is a sport where drone pilots strive to build fast and agile multi-rotors to fly around a set course as fast as possible. Drone racing is most commonly done using First Person View (FPV) systems. These systems allow drone pilots to fly their drones through three-dimensional courses at high speeds. FPV systems utilize
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Photo courtesy cbsnews.com
ISSUE 5 - WRITING
On Valentine’s Day, a Lexus version of the Google self-driving car crashes into a bus near Mountain View, California. It was caused by a misunderstanding between the drivers, and some thought this was new for Google cars.
By Anushka Lakum Entertainment Editor oogle’s self-driving cars have been driving on the road since 2009. However, these cars have been in 17 crashes, and this was the first time the Google car was the cause. On Feb. 14, a Google Lexus selfdriving car was about to drive around some sandbags on the road in Mountain View, California. Both the car and test-driver assumed that the bus in the next lane would slow down to let them pass. The bus driver thought that the car would stay put until the bus passed. Both driver and car assumed incorrectly, and the vehicles collided. It was a minor crash, and there were no injuries. According to engadget. com, the Lexus hit the side of the bus at 2 mph, while the bus was going 15
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virtual reality googles, which display a real-time video feed from an onboard camera. The official Drone Racing League, otherwise known as the DRL, hosts drone races at locations around the world where top pilots fly high-speed drones in an arena. A DRL race is scored based on a combination of completion time and checkpoints drone pilots must successfully maneuver their aircraft through. In a typical drone racing season, there are six races around the world where pilots earn points. The pilots with the most points qualify for the World Championship race. For more information on this futuristic pastime, visit fpvracing.tv.
mph. The car’s front fender, wheel and sensor were damaged in the process. After the crash, people were afraid that the Google software could make the same mistake again and incorrectly predict a human driver’s actions. But in a statement, Google said that it made changes to its software to “try to avoid future accidents like this.” According to google.com, self-driving cars were not actually a new invention. The steering wheels and pedals were just removed, and sensors were added to detect objects in all directions. In a blog, Chris Urmson, the head of Google’s self-driving car program, said that in most crashes, the car was not at fault, and it was just humans at fault. Photo courtesy of New York Times Urmson said, “The clear theme is human error and inattention. We’ll take Flying high in the air at a speed equally as high, this particular drone whizzes past checkpoints in an arena. The tiny, agile style of the all this as a signal that we’re starting to multi-rotor allowed for it to reach such high velocities. compare with human drivers.”
Writing - On this page, I wrote an article about the Google self-driving car and how one crashed into a bus.
Graphic by Ashley Kulberg
By Ashley Kulberg Photo Editor hree hundred hours of video footage are uploaded on YouTube every minute. That translates to 172,800 hours every day. Many teenagers would consider YouTube an instrumental part of their daily lives. “I like YouTubers that can make me laugh when I’m having a bad day,” Berta Pavaci, seventh grade communications major, said. The company has rapidly gained momentum since its launch in 2005,
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Scooping up flavor:
ISSUE 5 - LAYOUT AND COPY
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translucent, tinted visor for the user to see. The company described this headset as “the most advanced holographic computer the world has ever seen.” Although the controller is designed to be the user’s hands, the product allows for a Bluetooth connection to pair it with a “clicker” which is a thumb sized device made for scrolling and selecting. The lens will also support a Wi-Fi connection, as well as an app that allows others to see what the user is currently seeing in the headset. Microsoft has announced that it will be putting a developer version of the product for sale on March 30 starting at $3,000. The battery life on the HoloLens is set to be five and a half hours for light use and two and a half under heavy use. It will also be compatible with Xbox controllers. Another feature that is currently being researched and possibly implemented is what the company is calling “Holoportation”. This feature allows the user to see another HoloLens user in a skype like manner but with the added bonus that the other person is projected as a full “Star Wars like” hologram. Microsoft has yet to reveal information on the general availability of the product to the public, but it is expected that it will be a while until the company finishes tweaking the headset and pricing for the HoloLens drops.
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Popular YouTubers pique students’ interest
Microsoft looks to future, unveils HoloLens
By Carlos Trivino Features Editor ince the announcement of the Oculus Rift back in 2012, many companies began to implement and develop their own virtual-reality headsets to compete in the newly formed market. The HoloLens itself is built in the form of a large pair of sunglasses with an additional headband for putting it on properly. Like other products, its purpose is to indulge the user in a virtual surrounding, giving the impression of being in the game. However, Microsoft made the headband to not actually use virtualreality, instead the product uses augmented reality by projecting the “holograms” onto the HoloLens’ visor. This makes the viewer experience the holograms as if they were in the same room as them. Microsoft stated the product as “bringing holograms to life in your environment where you can interact with digital content in relation to your real world, just as you do with physical objects.” Powered by Windows 10, the HoloLens works by using two cameras for video recording and depth sensing, four microphones, and a Photo courtesy of arstechnica.com variety of environment understanding Inventor Alex Kipman was behind Microsoft’s Kinect system. Now, he components such as an accelerometer is leading the companies’ new augmented reality rig. Kipman said in an capable of measuring the speed of the interview with Fast Company magazine, “Software is the only art form in user. Images are projected onto the
The Portfolio April 2016
Photo by Jordan Taylor
Out of four places, the Carvel brand ranks as the best ice cream with four and a half stars. Carvel has employed over a thousand people and it was founded in 1929 by Tom Carvel.
By Jordan Taylor Website Editor n the 1700’s, ice cream was introduced in America. According to icecream.com, this delicious frozen treat is still one of the most popular selling desserts. I went to four ice cream locations around the West Palm Beach area and rated them on their flavor, texture, price, and customer service. Cold Stone Creamery is an ice cream chain that is located around the country. When I walked in, the overwhelmingly wonderful smell of sweetness and cream came over me. The service was
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professional YouTubers. According to stageoflife.com, 49 percent of teens have uploaded a video to YouTube. “The best thing is helping people and making them happy,” Zoe ‘Zoella’ Sugg said in an interview with dailymail.com. No matter how many future accounts are created, YouTube plans to continue improving their services. Wojcicki, said, “The great thing about the Internet is you can launch a product, and within just a few hours, people will tell you what they think about it.”
and currently has 800 million visitors every month, according to socialbakers. com. “Someone who’s not afraid to tell jokes [is a good YouTuber],” Aidan Dunn, seventh grade theater major, said. Teens, especially, spend more time watching YouTube than any other age group, with an average of 40 minute sessions, according to YouTube. “When YouTubers make advanced videos with lots of graphics, I’m more likely to watch other videos they made,” Pavaci said.
Forty one point six percent of YouTube users in the United States regularly watch videos by their favorite YouTubers, according to statista.com. PewDiePie currently holds the record for most subscribers, with over 43 million. “If you’re a content creator, you’re going to look for two things,” Susan Wojcicki, YouTube CEO, said in an interview with recode.net. “You’re going to look for promotion and distribution, and you’re going to look for revenue. We have both of those.” Many teens aspire to become
Carvel wins against other ice cream competitiors
Inspiring ski jumper moves viewers
good, but they only had one employee that helped customers. The ice cream itself was very rich, with a smooth consistency. The flavor was strong, but not too overpowering. The price was not too high for the amount I received, about $4, so I gave Cold Stone a 4 out of 5 stars. Haagen-Dazs is also a very popular chain of restaurants. The service was okay, but the ice cream was extremely expensive, about $6, for the tiny scoop that was given to me. The flavors were very good, but it had a gritty consistency. The location was clean and they had a wide variety of flavors to chose from. I gave Haagen-Dazs a 2.5 out of 5 stars. Kobosko Kreamery has one location in Wellington, Florida. When I walked in, the place was clean and the service was okay. No one greeted me at the door and they did not seem very happy while I was ordering. The ice cream was very smooth, but it tasted artificial and unnatural. It was reasonably priced, about $3.50, for the amount I received. I gave Kobosko Kreamery a 2 out of 5 stars. Carvel has been around since 1934, and has been rated very highly by other customers, so I had pretty high expectations, and I was pleased with the taste and texture of the ice cream. It had a lot of flavor and was rich and creamy. The total price was reasonable for two scoops of ice cream; it costed about $6. The only negative comment was that the cashier was not very friendly. I gave Carvel a 4.5 out of 5 stars.
By Valentina Gomez Arts and Academics Editor eleased on March 28, “Eddie the Eagle” grossed $15.2 million. Directed by Dexter Fletcher, this PG-13 film was based on a true story. Starting off as a kid, young Eddie Edwards (Taron Egerton) gave an insight of his huge dream of being part of the Olympics ever since he was a child. This inspiring story gave a moral lesson on never giving up and to always dream big. I felt that the overall film was exceptional with great music that caught the perfect moment in a scene like when Eddie got accepted into the winter Olympics. The music made it very moving and it made the audience cheer for Eddie as well. The film also had an amazing plotline since it took the viewer through each obstacle with the characters. This film gave viewers many suspenseful scenes. One of these scenes is when Eddie is trying out the 70 meter takeoff ramp for the first time. Eddie was very inexperienced, the audience was praying for a good outcome. Eddie is a very nerd-like, sweet dreamer with a strong passion. With lots of help from his friend and coach, Bronson Peary (Hugh Jackman), he was able to make it in his journey to compete in ski jumping in the winter Olympics. Actors such as Jackman and Egerton along with Tim McInnerny and Jo Hartley helped contribute into the heart-wrenching plot of the film by
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adding dramatic and emotional scenes. I gave “Eddie the Eagle” five out of five stars because of its great acting, inspirational message, amazing music and perfect plot-line.
Photo courtesy of calgaryherald.com
Eddie Edwards (Taron Egerton) competes for the 90 meter jump for ski jumping in the winter Olympics, which was his all-time dream as a child.
Layout - In Issue 5, I had only one page. This is page 5.