Technology Today

Tech n o l o g y To d ay ApplevsAndroid: TheAgeOldDebate: Whyarepeopleconstantlyarguingabout whichisbetter?Findout withthis thoroughexplanationof AppleandAndroid phones.

Exploretheworldof small businesses inAnAveragePerson'sGuideToSmall Companies,featuringRoystonSiow.

TheBoom,theBust,andtheBreakdown: Aquickexplanationof Austin'sTechIndustry featuringinsight fromAmber Gunst,theCEOof the AustinTechnologyCouncil.

Findout thepathsmartphonemakers tooktocreatethephonesweuse todayinthisbrief but detailed explanationof theindustry's advancementsfromthefirst smartphonestonow.

Pattern Goes Here

The Technology Tr ansition

Page 18

Letter s f r om the Editor s Page 6 Applying Apples to Andr oids Page 14

Apple vs Andr oid: The Age Old Debate Page 8 The iPhone 11 vs The Google Pixel 5 The Specs 4 - Tech n o l o gy To d ay

Page 12

How Does UX/UI Relate to Cyber secur ity?

Page 30

The User and Secur ity Page 26

The Boom, the Bust, and the Br eakdown Page 20

An Aver age Per son's Guide to Small Companies Page 32

The Histor y

The Smar t

of Gaming

Behind

Page 24

The Fr idge

Page 36

Fal l 2020 - 5

Letters f rom th e Edi tors L an ce Hi, my name is Lance! I love games and have loved them for as long as I can remember. Whether it be a physical game like tag, a board game like Monopoly, or a video game like Call of Duty, I enjoy just about any game you can think of. Video games are a kind I especially like, which is why I chose the topic of the history of video games for my infographic. The history of video games doesn't go nearly as far back as the historiy of other things, but that doesn't make it any less interesting. Video games have evolved so much in such little time, which is truly fascinating. Economies are also constantly changing, which is why Austin, Texas' economy is the topic I chose for my feature article.

M ak a I am a 14 year old student at Liberal Arts and Science Academy in Austin Texas. I am interested in Theatre Arts and technology. This is what got me interested in our magazine topic. I love learning about how tech works, as well using it to do new and interesting things. I wanted to be able to teach people about tech that are interested like me. I wanted to get people interested in tech as well, so this magazine aims to teach people about new and interesting technology.

6 - Tech n o l o gy To d ay

Ah an t y a I am Ahantya Sharma and I am a student at the Liberal Arts and Science Academy. I was born in Dallas, TX, but I have lived most of my life Austin, TX. During my life, I have always had some type of passion for technology, especially mobile technology like phones that can be taken anywhere you want. So, I decided that it would be the best to choose this magazine topic. I thought it would be even better if I specifically chose my article topic to be based on mobile technology because I have always wanted to prove which company actually makes the best mobile technology, and which company could improve on their mobile technology, and even how they could improve on the specific things or specifications.

SAM SUNG

M ax Hi, my name is Max Rodriguez, AKA twig. I like food a lot, and I am a huge gamer. I also happen to be 6'1" and not play sports. Tall people who don't play sports have it rough, but I don't let it get to my head.

Anyways, I chose the smart fridge because I wanted to stand out among other technologies, mostly the mainstream ones. My theme for the whole thing is "different", which means trying to stand out in any way possible. That brings me to my feature article, which is "technology through the lens of a small company".

I wanted to show a different perspective than just the mainstream companies because my breed is different. Have fun reading! :D

N am an Hi, my name is Naman Sheth and I am a student at the Liberal Arts and Science Academy. I was born and raised in Austin, TX. In my free time, I like to read, play video games, and go outdoors. I have had an interest in technology, and how it works since 6th grade, so naturally, I wanted to make our magazine topic centered around it well. With 4 other people that have similar interests to mine, it?s easier to coordinate and understand each other. I narrowed down my feature article focus down to a fundamental of product design in the technology industry: user interface and experience. I decided to write an article about how and why user interfaces and experiences tie into cybersecurity or otherwise a personal sense of security, as we move into a more technologically advanced era.

Fal l 2020 - 7

VS Apple vs Android The Age Old Debate 8 - Tech n o l o gy To d ay

By: Maka Perry

or year s and year s, people have been t r ying t o find out w hat t he best cellphone on t he m ar k et is. I n June 2007, t he iPhone w as r eleased t o t he public. Even t hough som e called it t oo big and bulk y t o be successful, it gr ew t o be one of t he biggest sm ar t phones w or ldw ide. I n Sept .

2008, t he fir st Andr oid sm ar t phone w as launched and so t he w ar began. Fans fr om bot h sides fought over w hat w as t he best phone on t he m ar k et , and dur ing t his t im e t he Andr oid br and gr ew t o m any differ ent com panies lik e Sam sung, Google Pixel, M ot o Z, and ot her s. The debat e has not only spanned fr om Apple vs Andr oid, but also Andr oid fight ing ot her Andr oids.

This debat e has been going on for decades, and it ?s t im e t o find out t he answ er.

F

Ther e ar e m any im por t ant fact or s w hen it com es t o deciding w hat t he best phone on t he m ar k et is. I t also depends on user pr efer ence,

m odel and fam iliar it y. Even if t he specs ar e bet t er, som e people m ay only be able t o affor d one k ind of phone. I f people ar e look ing for a good cam er a, t hen t hey m ay choose a phone based on t hat over bet t er bat t er y life. Apple has been leading t he char ge w it h t he fir st iPhone com ing out in 2007.

Sam sung follow ed w it h t he GT-I 7500 Galaxy in 2009, and Google cam e out w it h t he Pixel in 2016. Due t o t he differ ent specs, feat ur es, and special qualit ies of t he differ ent

det er m ining t he st or age capacit y of a bat t er y, w hile t he iPhone 11 only has about 3000 m Ah. One sur pr ising fr ont -r unner how ever w as t he M ot or ola br and phones, w it h t he M ot o G Pow er get t ing over 16 hour s of bat t er y life, and t he M ot o G7 Pow er get t ing m or e t han 15 hour s of bat t er y life.

Anot her t hing t hat is im por t ant t o a lot of people is t he cam er a. People w ant t o k now t he qualit y of t he cam er as and t he differ ent feat ur es of t hem . Tech Radar and Tom ?s Guide, som e of t he One of t he m ost im por t ant biggest t ech blogs on t he w eb, fact or s t hat m ost people can bot h agr ee t hat w hen it com es t o cam er a phones, t he iPhone agr ee on is bat t er y life.

Out of devices m ade by Apple, Google and Sam sung, a t est done by Tom ?s Guide finds t hat t he Sam sung Galaxy A20 has t he longest r unning bat t er y w it h Apple com ing next and Google com ing in last .

phones, it is ver y har d t o judge w hat t he ?best m obile phone? is. Even w it h t he m any feat ur es, t he m ost im por t ant ones can be nar r ow ed dow n.

This is not sur pr ising consider ing t hat t he Galaxy A20 has 4000 m Ah, a unit of m easur em ent w hen it com es t o

Fal l 2020 - 9

Matthew Waller, a software engineer for Apple, showing off some of the apps that he has created. (Photo by Matthew Waller)

" I t hink Google Pixel has one of t he best cam er as and over all Andr oid exper iences."

Google Pixel has one of t he best cam er as and over all Andr oid exper iences.?

This is in line w it h t he fact t hat Tom ?s Guide placed t he Google Pixel 5 in t he num ber t w o spot w hen it com es t o it s cam er a. Som e of t he best special feat ur es ar e t he Galaxy S20 ult r a opt ical zoom 12 Pr o M ax is t he best one out t hat goes up t o 100x zoom t her e due t o all of t he specs it and Google Pixel?s night sight . includes lik e it s abilit y t o shoot Anot her good cam er a phone t o m ent ion is t he H uaw ei P40 H DR video. H ow ever, said by Pr o t hat w as m ent ioned in Gar r et Openshaw, a soft w ar e t hese list s, but w on't be engineer at Google, ?I t hink included because over all it is not a ver y good phone.

$ 10 - Tech n o l o gy To d ay

One t hing t hat can affect w het her or not som eone can even buy t he phone is t he pr ice. When shopping for phones on a budget it ?s im por t ant t o com par e t he pr ices. As of r ight now t he iPhone 12 r et ails for $799 and t he iPhone 11 for $699, t he Google Pixel 5 r et ails for $699, and t he Galaxy S20 r et ails for $999.

" M y m ain com plaint w it h Google Pixel phones is t hat t hey ar en't suppor t ed as long as iPhones.

For exam ple m y Pixel 2 w ill be r eceiving it 's last updat e t his Decem ber, w hich w ill for ce m e t o updat e t o a new device."

differ ent var iant s ar e m or e expensive, but just t hese num ber s ar e enough. When it com es dow n t o pr ice, Google has t he best pr ice for t he m ost m oder n it er at ion of it s phone lineup. I f you ar e look ing for a nam e-br and phone on a budget , These ar e all t he basic ver sions t he Google Pixel 5 is t he w ay t o of t he phones, all of t he go.

H ow long t he phone is suppor t ed can also be a deciding fact or for som e people.

When it com es dow n t o Apple, Google and Sam sung t he t op spot once again goes t o Apple.

Apple w ill suppor t your iOS device w it h soft w ar e updat es for up t o five year s, w hile Sam sung and Google only suppor t t heir devices for t hr ee each.

st or age and RAM , t he phones ar e act ually quit e differ ent in t he r ank ings. The iPhone 12 has t he m ost base st or age w it h 256GB but act ually t he low est RAM w it h only 6GB of RAM .

This is follow ed by t he Google Pixel 5 w it h 128GB of st or age and 8GB RAM , and t he Sam sung S20 also w it h 128GB of st or age but 12GB RAM .

H ow ever, none of t hese com par e t o t he Galaxy S10+ This goes for all iPhones, w hich has 1TB of st or age built Pixel?s, and Galaxy?s. Openshaw in. That is alm ost 4 t im es t he even agr ees st at ing, ?M y m ain am ount of st or age as t he iPhone 12!

" Par t of it is fam iliar it y. I w as alr eady in t he ecosyst em so it w as a com binat ion of fam iliar it y, t ast e, and pr efer ences."

com plaint w it h Google Pixel phones is t hat t hey ar en't suppor t ed as long as iPhones.

For exam ple m y Pixel 2 w ill be r eceiving it 's last updat e t his Decem ber, w hich w ill for ce m e t o updat e t o a new device. For m e, I 'd lik e m y phone t o be suppor t ed for at least four year s, so I 'm consider ing sw it ching t o iPhone for m y next device.?

One final t hing t o consider is t he st or age. When it com es t o

Even w it h all of t hese fact or s, t her e is one t hing t hat can

decide w hat phone you get .

I t has not hing t o do w it h w hat has t he best specs or t he best feat ur es, it is sim ply t he fam iliar it y and how used you ar e t o a cer t ain device. M at t hew Waller, a soft w ar e engineer for Apple said, ?Par t of it is fam iliar it y, I w as alr eady in t he ecosyst em so it w as a com binat ion of fam iliar it y, t ast e, pr efer ences.? Even if a phone has t he best bat t er y life, cam er a, st or age and suppor t t im e, how fam iliar som eone is t o it can be t he only deciding fact or t o t hem .

Images used in this article courtesy of: freebiesupply.com worldvectorlogo.com pixabay.com www.svgrepo.com www.pinclipart.com

Garret Openshaw (left) with his wife (right) at the beach. He is a software engineer at Google.

(Photo by Garret Openshaw)

Fal l 2020 - 11

iPhone 11 vs. Google Pixel 5 Which phone has the best specs?

by: Maka Perry

9:20 Storage:

IOS 14

4GB RAM

6.1 in.

Display

LED Display

120 Hz

Three

Refresh

12Mp

Rate

Cameras

True

Water

2 times

Tone

and Dust

Optical

Display

Resistant

Zoom

5 times

4K

5.94 in.

Digital

Video

x

Zoom

at 60FPS

2.98 in.

Face ID

12 - Tech n o l o gy To d ay

64GB

LTE

128GB

Connectivity

256GB

Sources: -

apple.com store.google.com Apple iPhone 11 vs. Google Pixel 5: Which $699 Phone Should You Buy? article by Steven Wilkison at pcmag.com

5G

10:15

Android

8GB

128GB

LTE, 5G

6 in.

11

RAM

Storage

Connectivity

Display

90 Hz

8Mp,

4K Video

Refresh Rate

12Mp,16Mp

Reverse Wireless Charging

OLED Display

Two Colors

Cameras

at 60FPS

5.7 in. x 2.8in.

Fal l 2020 - 13

An im age t hat show s t he different uses t hat sm art phones allow us t o do w it h ease; sm art phones also help m any people get jobs such as Adam Ism ail and M at t hew Waller w ho w ill be feat ured in t his art icle. This im age w as uploaded t o t he int ernet on M ay 19t h, 2020. ( Phot o by Joseph M ucira, court esy of Pix abay) .

ven t hough andr oid sm ar t phones have a bigger r ole in for eign count r ies, 82% of U.S. t eens use an iPhone accor ding t o BusinessI nsider.com . Since it w as r eleased, it seem s t hat m or e people t end t o ow n an iPhone, but Sam sung t ends t o do w ell in count r ies out side of t he U.S. Even t hough m any st at ist ics seem t o pr ove t hat Apple has an edge on t heir phones com par ed t o Andr oid, especially Sam sung, t hat isn't necessar ily t he case.

E

Applying Apples to Androids!

By: Ahantya Sharma 14 - Tech n o l o gy To d ay

M any t hink t hat iPhones ar e bet t er t han Andr oid's sm ar t phones, but t hat 's a r each. Sam sung, a ver y good t ype of Andr oid, has m any good feat ur es about it self t hat ar e act ually bet t er t han t he iPhone. For exam ple, Sam sung's video cam er a can

shoot up t o 8K r esolut ion, but iPhone's cam er a can only shoot up t o 4K. Sam sung?s devices usually have m uch m or e RAM t han t he iPhones have. RAM is t he am ount of access m em or y t he device can st or e and r em em ber. Typically, m or e m em or y m eans fast er in t er m s of RAM , so you w ant t o have a higher RAM . The iPhone 12's bat t er y is at 2,815 m Ah w hile Sam sung Galaxy S20's bat t er y is at 4,000 m Ah. The abbr eviat ion, m Ah, st ands for m illiam per e hour, and t he higher m Ah a phone or any ot her device has, t he m or e am ount of ener gy in t he bat t er y is pr ovided. A higher am ount of m Ah m eans t hat t he phone has a bet t er bat t er y life.

M ost Andr oid phones use a Qualcom m chipset w hile Apple uses t heir ow n chips.

Sam sung and ot her Andr oid alt er nat ives' phones m ay have advant ages in t hings lik e video qualit y, RAM and expandable st or age, but Apple leads in t he CPU cat egor y.

A CPU st ands for t he Cent r al Pr ocessing U nit . They per for m pr ogr am s and

- Adam Ismail.

Google's Pixels and OnePlus' phones have also been good Andr oid alt er nat ives t o Sam sung as w ell Adam Ism ail, a st aff w rit er at Tom 's Guide, w here he covers as com pet it or s t o recent t echnology in gam ing, sm art phones, and cars, is seen Apple's iPhones. near a park w it h pink t rees surrounding him . ( Phot o by Adam Ism ail) .

Recent ly, OnePlus m ade a r evolut ionar y change w it h a pop up selfie inst r uct ions t hat you give it t o cam er a. They w er e one of t he do w hen fir st com panies t o add t hat you'r e using a t ype of feat ur e int o t heir device, such OnePlus 7 Pr o phone, w hich as how people w as announced in M ay 2019. t ype w it h a Google's Pixels ar e also placed k eyboar d. at a ver y good pr ice because When people t hey use low er end har dw ar e, use a yet t hey ar e so pow er ful in k eyboar d, t he t hings lik e night m ode on t heir com put er is cam er as. These t hings don't t old t o display m ean t hat Andr oid is any a specific bet t er t han iPhones, t hough. let t er. Over all, " Apple has an edge on t he CPU advant age because Qualcom m m ak es good chips as w ell, but t hey ar en't ahead on m any fact or s," Adam I sm ail, st aff w r it er at Tom 's Guide, said.

"I don't prefer any specific phone or one company. I always move around and switch from each phone company to another depending on the philosophies that each company." brings in their phones."

a fast er CPU m eans a fast er execut ion, w hich is cr ucial in m any devices.

I n gam ing t er m s, " Sam sung is bet t er for gam ing. Alt hough Apple has bet t er per for m ance and has bet t er developer s t o m ak e gam es t hat push per for m ance of Apple, Sam sung and Andr oid over all have feat ur es such as 120 her t z and 5G fir st and usually im plem ent it in," I sm ail said.

Sam sung's choice of being int er est ing t o gam er s has m ost lik ely helped m any t o decide on t he phone t hat t hey should buy.

An im age of t he Sam sung Galax y S10 is t he m iddle priced phone of t he S10 generat ion t hat w as released in t he Unit ed St at es on M arch 6t h, 2019; and t his im age w as creat ed on February 21, 2019. ( Phot o by adrian2019, court esy of Pix abay.)

Fal l 2020 - 15

Apple's has also been int er est ing t o sim ple people because of it s sm oot h user int er face(U I ) and it s oper at ing syst em . I t 's t he r eason t hat m any people pr efer iPhones over Andr oid. The pr oblem w it h

"I think Apple has an edge on the CPU advantage because Qualcomm makes good chips as well, but they aren't ahead on many factors."

" I n gener al, a good com pet it or for Apple is just Google Pixel's andr oids. They ar e lik e andr oids for people w ho lik e iPhones. They ar e pr et t y good t o use.

Andr oid in gener al is a good com pet it or t o Apple," M at t hew Waller, cont r act I OS developer at Apple, An im age of a CPU is show n, w hich is an im port ant part for any said. Choosing com put er, t ablet or any ot her device t o funct ion. ( Phot o by bet w een an Andr oid blickpix el, court esy of Pix abay) . and an iPhone m ight t hings such as w hy Apple is be a har d decision, but it such a successful com pany, and r eally com es dow n t o t hat is because m ost of t heir " sim plicit y and fam iliar it y," cust om er s r eside in t he U.S. Waller said. But t he act ual and people in t he U.S. t end t o feat ur es ar en't t he only t hing

- Adam Ismail.

Andr oid's Oper at ing Syst em is t hat it 's not opt im ized for each specific phone.

This is because t he Andr oid oper at ing syst em is used by m or e t han one t ype of phone.

For exam ple, a Sam sung, Google Pixel, and a OnePlus phone all use t he Andr oid Oper at ing Syst em . Since t he oper at ing syst em has t o w or k w it h each phone, t he Andr oid Oper at ing Syst em is not exact ly per fect for one t ype of phone because it has t o w or k w it h m ult iple of t hem . " When Apple does r elease a new I OS updat e, it 's r eally good," I sm ail said. Recent ly, I OS 14 r eleased w idget s for Apple, and m any w er e am azed by t hem . Andr oid w as ahead of Apple on m ak ing w idget s, but w hen Apple r eleased t heir w idget s, t he design and pr om ot ion w as done m uch bet t er. That 's som et hing t hat Andr oid needs t o im pr ove on.

An im age of an OnePlus is show n, w hich is a series of phones t hat w as st art ed from a relat ively sm all com pany in Decem ber 2013 and now has becom e a huge m obile com pany. ( Phot o by kert t u, court esy of Pix abay.)

t hat affect s pr ice.

Google Pixels ar e good alt er nat ives t o iPhones. N ot only t hat , but t he pr ice of each iPhone can be ver y expensive for m any unk now n r easons. For exam ple, m ost Andr oids ar e cheaper t han an iPhone due t o fact or s such as locat ion and lifest yle of t heir cust om er s.

This also plays int o ot her

use m or e m oney on t hings lik e t echnology. " Apple k now s t hat t hey can sell t heir pr oduct s for a high pr ice because cust om er s w ill buy it because t he w ealt h in t he U.S. is higher," I sm ail said.

And since Andr oids ar e pr iced low er, t hey don't m ak e as m uch m oney as Apple does, and t heir cust om er s usually don't buy t heir new phone ever y single

Som e Apple an d Sam su n g Fact s!

-

Apple released their first iPhone approximately three years before Samsung released their Galaxy line!

-

Samsung changed the names of their phones from the generation number to the year the phone it was released. They went from S10 in 2019 to S20 in 2020! That also helped them celebrate 10 years of Samsung Galaxy Phones (in 2020) because of the 10 to 20 transition!

-

iPhone X was released only two months after the iPhone to celebrate 10 years of iPhones.

Many people were upset since they bought the iPhone 8 thinking that it would be the latest phone for some time.

-

Samsung means "three stars" in Korean. That explains the galaxy part of Samsung phones.

An im age of t he iPhone 11 is show n, w hich is t he t hirt eent h generat ion low er-priced iPhone t hat w as officially released on Sept em ber 20, 2019; t his im age w as uploaded t o t he int ernet on Sept em ber 30t h, 2020. ( Phot o by M ediam odifier, court esy of Pix abay.)

M at t hew Waller, a Soft w are Developer w ho designs apps/ t ools in Apple w it h cont ract s for ot her com panies t hat have request ed w ork, is seen com fort ing his cat w hile w orking on his com put er. ( Phot o by M at t hew Waller) .

year. That is st ar t ing t o change

" In general, a good competitor for Apple is just Google Pixel's androids. They are like androids for people who like iPhones. They are pretty good to use.

Android in general is a good competitor to Apple."

- Matthew Waller. t hough. Sam sung is gaining m or e at t r act ion t o t heir cust om er s, and t heir pr ices ar e going higher t oo.

The final m ajor fact or t hat goes int o a phone is w hat your over all use for it is. For

exam ple, get t ing a phone built for gam ing t o use in ever yday life doesn't m ak e sense because you could pr obably get a cheaper phone w it h m or e qualit y for ever yday use.

Som eone w it h an Andr oid built for gam ing w ill have a huge m ar gin in specificat ions bet w een som eone w ho uses an iPhone for nor m al day use.

Depending on your needs of a phone, ever yt hing w ill var y.

That includes t he pr ice, t he RAM , t he cam er a qualit y, t he CPU, t he bat t er y capacit y and m uch m or e.

Ther e is st ill An im age of t he iPhone X is show n, w hich is a cont roversial phone t hat w ill be t alked about nex t ; it w as t he first iPhone t hat had face ID. ( Phot o by BUM PITRA, court esy of Pix abay) .

no clear st at em ent on w het her iPhones or Andr oids ar e bet t er. But , it 's safe t o say t hat Andr oids and iPhones ar e bet t er for differ ent uses, and bot h r eally com e dow n t o pr efer ence. An iPhone m ight be bet t er in one aspect , but a Sam sung Galaxy phone or any ot her Andr oid phone m ight be bet t er in a differ ent aspect .

Over here, you can learn about the improvements that major mobile companies have made from their first to their latest phone.

A timeline is also provided to show how long and how many evolutions were made past to now by these companies. iPh on e 2G (Th e Fir st iPh on e!)

The Technology Tr ansition iPh on e 2G Specs!

CPU:412 MHz ARM 11 Battery: Lithium Ion Camera: 2 MP Video: 2 MP Display: 3.5 inches (TFT Capacitive Touchscreen RAM: 128 MB Storage: 4, 8, 16 GB Options Price: $499 for 4 GB, $599 for 8 GB (WHEN RELEASED!) Overall, this was a expensive, but good phone to have back in June 2007. iPh on e 12 (Th e Lat est iPh on e!)

Sou r ces: 1. apple.com 2. t iger m obiles.com

18 - Tech n o l o gy To d ay 18 - Tech n o l o gy To d ay 3. pocket -lin t .com

By: Ahantya Shar ma CPU: Apple Bionic A14 Battery: 2,775 mAh Camera: 12 MP Front, 12 MP Rear

Sam su n g Galaxy S (On e of Fou r M odels.

Sam su n g Galaxy S20 an d Specs.

Display: 6.2 inch DYNAMIC AMOLED

10:10 A.M

10:10 A.M. Friday 89°F Kansas City

RAM: 12 GB Storage: 128 GB (Expandable to 1000 GB)

09/09

Video: Up to 4K with 60 FPS

CPU: Qualcomm

Display: 6.1 inch OLED

Snapdragon 865 SM8250

RAM: 4 GB

Battery: 4,000 mAh

Storage: 64/128/256 GB Price: From $829 Overall, this was a really expensive phone for its time of release, but it could be worth it depending on who you are.

Sam su n g Galaxy S Specs!

CPU: HummingBird Cortex-A8 1.0 GHz Battery: 1,500 mAh Camera: 5 MP Video: Depends (Bad Quality) Display: 4 inch SUPER AMOLED

Price: From $999.99 and below

Overall, this phone is good Camera: 10 MP Front for heavy duty Rear: 12, 64, 12 MP like gaming or Video: Up to 8K with 24 multi tasking, but otherwise it's FPS very expensive.

(Also 4K with 60 FPS) This phone also has a good camera for videos and pictures.

Ram: 512 MB

iPh on e 12 Specs!

Storage: 8 GB, Up to 32 GB Price: Around $500 Overall, it was a good phone for people who wanted their phone for work. Otherwise, it was very expensive.

Fal l 2020 - 19 Fal l 2020 - 19

TheBoom, TheBust, and the Breakdown.

By: LanceMoczygemba

This is a graph of Austin's unemployment rate. As you can see, it has gone down a lot in the last few years. (Photo by Lance Moczygemba)

ust in, Texas' econom y has been boom ing for a w hile now, and it 's unem ploym ent r at e is 42% low er t han t he aver age for st at es in t he U S, accor ding t o best places.net . I t hasn't alw ays been t his w ay, t hough.

While Aust in's econom y is cur r ent ly boom ing, t her e w as a huge st ock m ar k et cr ash in Aust in not t hat long ago.

A

An event k now n m ost com m only r efer r ed t o as t he .com boom occur r ed in t he U.S. fr om t he lat e 1980s t o t he lat e 2000s. I t all st ar t ed because a lot of people st ar t ed t ak ing int er est in t ech-r elat ed com panies because of how

fast t echnology w as advancing, so a lot of w ealt hy people st ar t ed invest ing in t he t ech indust r y. Accor ding t o Br ian M cCullough, an int er net hist or ian, " By 2002, 100 m illion individual invest or s had lost $5 t r illion in t he st ock m ar k et ." The .com boom w as essent ially a bunch of com panies being for m ed and convincing invest or s t o give t hem m oney, but t he invest or s t hen r ealized t hese com panies w er e not m ak ing any m oney and st opped invest ing, so t he com panies cr ashed.

A r ecor d am ount of m oney w as being put int o t he t ech indust r y, so a lot of new

com panies full of people w it h big dr eam s w er e for m ed.

These dr eam s w er e ideas t hat sounded ver y pr ofit able t o invest or s, w hich is w hy t hey invest ed in t hese com panies in t he fir st place. M ost of t hese com panies died off once m oney st opped com ing in fr om invest or s because t hey w er en't act ually m ak ing a pr ofit .

All t hese com panies w er e based on not hing but ideas and didn't r eally have any business plans. Accor ding t o John Whit efoot on lom bar dilet t er.com , m ost of t he com panies in t he .com boom doubled in value, but

t hen r eached a value of 0, so t hey soar ed and t hen sank ver y quick ly. Basically, a bunch of com panies w er e for m ed by people w ho w ant ed m oney or people w it h unr ealist ic ideas, and t hey ended up bank r upt because t heir businesses w er en't handled w ell.

Accor ding t o Am ber Gunst , CEO of Aust in

This is Am ber Gunst , t he CEO of Aust in Technology Council. She has a lot of ex perience in business and Aust in's econom y. ( Phot o court esy of Am ber Gunst )

" Ever y com pany is going t o have an exit , w het her you ar e acquir ed by som ebody or m er ge w it h som ebody, or even just sell your com pany t o a m uch bigger one. " -Am ber Gunst Technology Council, " You had a lot of com panies t hat had gr ow n up, and sounded r eally excit ing and cut t ing edge."

The r eason so m any w ealt hy people invest ed in

" I t 's r eally all about having a good exit for ever ybody in t he com pany, so t heir effor t , t im e, blood, sw eat and t ear s don't go t o w ast e."

-Am ber Gunst t he com panies involved in t he .com boom w as because t hese com panies said t hey w ant ed t o do som et hing t hat sounded r eally innovat ive, and t hey sounded lik e ideas t hat w ould m ak e a lot of m oney if t hey succeeded.

The ideas w er e unr ealist ic, how ever, so t he com panies never act ually ended up gr ow ing t hese ideas int o r eal-w or ld pr ot ot ypes. Their invest or s m ay have not k now n m uch about t he t ech field, but t hey w er en't st upid. Once m oney st opped com ing in, it w as pr act ically im possible t o k eep t he business afloat t hem selves, as t heir invest or s w er e basically t heir only sour ce of m oney.

They w er en't able t o m ak e a pr ofit t hem selves.

Obviously, t her e ar e t hings you should not do w hen r unning a business, and t her e ar e st r at egies people m ak e t o k eep t heir business st able. Business st r at egies such as planning our t heir act ions w er e not used m uch by t he com panies involved in t he .com boom , w hich is one of t he biggest

r easons for t heir failur e.

The only t hing t hese com panies had going for t hem w er e ideas, but t hose ideas w er e not accom plished because t heir business plans, if t hey even had any, w er e not able t o m ak e t he com pany any m oney. " L ook ing at failur e as

" You had a lot of com panies t hat k ind of im ploded.

That 's a sim ple w ay of saying, but t hat 's basically w hat happened.

Since t hen, especially in Aust in, t he people w ho ar e r unning t he m ost successful com panies w ho w er e ar ound back t hen w or k ed for 'dead' com panies."

- Am ber Gunst an oppor t unit y t o gr ow inst ead of an oppor t unit y t o give up is a ver y im por t ant m indset t o have" is som et hing t hat Gunst fir m ly believes in. I f t he business ow ner s w hose com panies failed dur ing t he .com boom just gave up, absolut ely not hing w ould have been gained and all t he m oney

lost fr om t he .com boom w ould have gone t ow ar d not hing. L uck ily, t hose business ow ner s did not give up. I nst ead, t hey lear ned fr om t heir m ist ak es and t r ied again.

" N ow adays people w ill act ually pause som et hing and ask t hem selves " H ey, is t his a good idea?" befor e t hey do som et hing. Back dur ing t he dot com boom , t hat just didn't happen. People w er e lik e 'H ey, w e don't have a plan, but let 's do t his anyw ays! ', and t his is one of t he t hings, if not t he t hing t hat caused t he cr ash."

-Am ber Gunst Som et hing good did com e fr om t he .com boom , and t hat is exper ience. M or e specifically, people w it h exper ience. " They lit er ally t ook 22 - Tech n o l o gy To d ay

lessons fr om t hose com panies failing and br ought t hose int o t heir new com panies, and t hey ar e doing a lot bet t er," Gunst said.

While t he businesses in t he .com boom failed, t he people r unning t hem did not . People lear ned fr om t he m ist ak es t hey m ade back t hen and ar e using t hat k now ledge t o r un t heir new businesses bet t er. The .com boom cr eat ed a lot of business ow ner s w ho k new w hat not t o do w hen r unning a business, w hich led t hem t o r un com panies in bet t er w ays.

This is Austin, TX. Austin is the capital of Texas, and is known for having a high amount of artists and musicians, but it also has a relatively large tech industry. (Photo by KBaucherel on pixabay.com)

Gunst said, at least in t he Aust in ar ea, m ost of t he people leading t he m ost successful com panies t oday w er e a par t of t he com panies t hat failed m iser ably in t he .com boom . L ear ning fr om m ist ak es is one of t he m ain w ays hum ans im pr ove how t hey do t hings, and t his w as a big m ist ak e. So w hile t his event m ay have seem ed t er r ible in t he m om ent , it helped business ow ner s lear n and im pr ove t heir st r at egies lat er on.

Technology is a huge part of our lives and society.

(Photo by Free-Photos on Pixabay)

" Ever y com pany is going t o have an exit , w het her you ar e acquir ed by som ebody or m er ge w it h som ebody, or even just sell your com pany t o a m uch bigger one," says Gunst .

I t doesn't m ean t hey did t hat in t heir fir st t r y, and it doesn't m ean t hey w on't ever fail, it just m eans t hey ar e m or e aw ar e of w hat t o look out for, and how t o st op t hat fr om happening.

-Am ber Gunst This 'exit ' t hat Gunst r efer s t o is essent ially t he end of an ow ner 's r eign at a com pany. H aving a good exit in a business is one of t he biggest goals t her e is for t hose r unning a business.

When blood, sw eat and t ear s ar e put int o som et hing, of cour se you w ant it t o end w ell. People don't w ant t heir com panies t o go out of business, t hey w ant it t o

t hr ive and end in a w ay t hat w or k s w ell for ever ybody w or k ing t her e.

" They lit er ally t ook lessons fr om t hose com panies failing and br ought t hose int o t heir new com panies, and t hey ar e doing a lot bet t er."

-Am ber Gunst All com panies w ant a successful exit , and t he .com boom t aught people w hat t hey needed t o do t o have a successful exit . M or e specifically, it show ed people t hat t hey had t o have a st r at egy for how t hey conduct ed t heir business, as not having any st r at egy is w hat caused t he dow nfall of t he com panies in t he .com boom .

" L ook ing at failur e as an oppor t unit y t o gr ow inst ead of an oppor t unit y t o give up is a ver y im por t ant m indset t o have."

-Am ber Gunst The infam ous event k now n as t he .com boom left m any people w it hout a job and

dollar s w er e lost w hen w e have an unem ploym ent r at e 42% low er t han t he aver age.

Austin now has a huge tech industry, and one thing that is made there is mobile technology. (Photo by Nick_H on Pixabay)

cost people t r illions of dollar s t hat basically w ent dow n t he dr ain. H ow ever, lik e ever y ot her failur e, it t aught business m anager s how t o im pr ove our selves and show ed t hem w hat not t o do.

Ever y success com es aft er a failur e, and m uch of t he t ech indust r y's r ecent success can be at t r ibut ed t o t he .com boom . I t w as a hum ongous failur e, but it helped business ow ner s gr ow and lear n how t o r un t hings bet t er t han ever.

This event was called the .com bubble because it expanded and then imploded very quickly. (Photo by OpenClipart-Vectors on Pixabay)

" Ther e ar e a lot of people w ho com e int o t he t ech field and put in a lot of w or k and t im e, and even m oney, t o a com pany. So if t he exit isn't successful, t hey can lose a w hole lot ."

-Am ber Gunst I t t ook t im e for t he econom y t o r ecover, but it did event ually r ecover. N ow adays, t he t ech indust r y in Aust in is boom ing. I t is now k now n as Silicon H ills. I t is har d t o im agine t hat so m any people lost t heir jobs such a shor t t im e ago, and t hat t r illions of

Fal l 2020 - 23

2001 Xbox vs 2020 Xbox!

Ter m s Used: Fr am es Per Secon d: The amount of times a screen can refresh every second. The higher the FPS, the more smooth the game feels.

Resolu t ion : A term used to represent the amount of pixels on the screen.

Pixel: a tiny square on the screen that can change color. The more pixels, the better the graphics.

Sources: www.playstation.com www.theverge.com www.britanica.com www.digitaltrends.com www.americanhistory.si.edu www.xbox.com

24 - Tech n o l o gy To d ay

www.hongkiat.com

A Br i ef Hi st or y of Gami ng Consoles Console Brown Box (1967) The very first video game console, was a very simple device and had only a few compatible games, as the concept of consoles didn't really exist.

Atari 2600 (1977) This was the first Atari, it was very popular during it's prime and had better graphics than the Brown Box.

Playstation I (1994) The very first Playstation, it was considered revolutionary for it's overall amazing stats at the time.

Xbox One X (2017) One of the most recent gaming consoles right now, it contains a very powerful computer and has some of the best graphics

Some Compatible Games Pong: knock a ball around and try to score on your opponent. This is a 2D game.

Checkers: exactly like the board game, only on a computer, also a 2D game.

Pac Man: The classic 2D game where you play as Pac Man. Pong: same game, better graphics

Tomb Raider: A 3D Adventure game, and one of the first publicly available 3D games.

Ridge Racer: one of the first 3D racing games Star Wars JEDI: Fallen Order: A 3D Star Wars game where you play as a Jedi.

Cyberpunk 2077: An open world, futuristic adventure game. One of the biggest games ever created.

Sources: www.laptopmag.com www.eurogamer.net

By: Lance Moczygemba

www.xbox.com

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Cyb er secu r i t y i n U X / U I

Above is a diagram of how user interface and experience are tied together, but also make up a different part of the whole.

(Cou r t esy of Even br it e.com ).

ccording to Forrester Research, a better user interface and experience can boost your conversion rate up by as much as 400%.

A

One of the first companies that discovered how lucrative a good user experience could be was Apple, when they hired Don Norman in 1993. Norman was the person who coined

26

- Tech n o l o gy To d ay

the term ?user experience.? B2C companies like Apple need to worry about having a simple and intuitive UX and interface so processes are streamlined and easy to use. This is extremely important because companies need to make their products easy to use for consumers so they are more likely to buy the product again; a simple and intuitive UX/UI makes the product more secure, with fewer loopholes and exploits that can be manipulated.

UX and UI design isn?t just about customer satisfaction, it has a lot

to do with cybersecurity.

Essentially, the more simple and straightforward a UX is, the better it will be. This is for a number of different reasons.

There are fewer exploits that can be manipulated, so it?s harder to hack or bypass authentication; People will be more likely to use your site more often and buy your products due to ease of access and sheer convenience; and people are more likely to enable extra security measures

(ex. two-factor authentication) if it is easy to set up.

As many as 75% of organizations don?t have a strategy for dealing with cyber attacks. They either lack the technology, procedures, or resources to deal with them. On the other hand, almost all companies are aware that cyber attacks are a huge risk to their business. In this sense, cybersecurity and UX design go hand in hand. You don?t necessarily have to pick one over the other.

Again, with a simple UI, it is usually easier to use and more secure.

According to Rahnik Vora, who works for NCC group, a software security and consulting firm, ATM?s are a very good example of this.

Rahnik Vora works for NCC group, an IT security company.

(Courtesy of Wikipedia.)

?They tend to have a really slim and very minimal UI. They don?t have very many things going on in the user interface,? Vora said. It is simple to withdraw money, and it is also secure and difficult to bypass a login.

Poor UX design can be a hindrance to cybersecurity. Users?tendency to avoid security procedures such as two-factor authentication or connecting a backup account to their current account is often due to poor UX design.

People tend to avoid these procedures because their workflow process is interrupted by the constant need to login and check their emails and text messages for

various keys, codes, and other assorted methods of 2FA. (two-factor authentication) Of course, these issues can easily be fixed by streamlining the process. A good example of this would be the built-in password manager on IOS, Google Chrome, and various other pieces of software.

Apple?s IOS has optimized this process with biometric authentication by allowing you to quickly access all of your passwords with Touch ID or Face ID. Biometric authentication is a security process that relies on the unique biological features of a person?s body to verify their identity and allow/deny access to the device.

Google Chrome gives you the ability to save your passwords when you log in for the first time with a new email address/username and password. This works on all of the devices actively linked and used by your Google account. However, to keep your account safe, new devices will be forced to go through the 2FA process to ensure that you are the one who is logging in and not a fraudulent device.

Apple?s tight integration throughout its ecosystem allows for quick and effortless 2FA after initial setup. For example, installing an app on your phone that used to require your password will now be able to

use extremely convenient and secure methods such as facial or a fingerprint scanner to verify identity and start downloading an app in less than a second.

?They tend to have a really slim and very minimal UI. They don?t have very many things going on in the user interface?

Another big part of UX design and cybersecurity is the legitimacy of the interface. Even if a website is legitimate, the UI can give a powerful first impression when you use the site.

For example, Google?s suite of web apps are thoroughly designed to be easy to use and have a design that is simple and intuitive. It looks legitimate, the design isn?t packed with pop ups or ads, and nothing is overcrowded.

This way, a user feels more aware of what all is happening on the page, and has more control over it.

A teardown of hardware to software integration.

(Courtesy of: Usability Geek.)

These elements add more to

Fal l 2020 - 27

a user ?s sense of security than actual cybersecurity, but there are more design elements that are a part of the UX behind the scenes. For example, automatic cloud saving enables you to not have to click a save button every time a user is ready to close out their work. This way, users no longer have to worry about losing their work, and their data is securely stored and sent over networks via AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) 256 bit encryption, which is currently the most secure standard to date.

Companies that invest in a good UX design usually have higher return on investment (ROI) because more people use these sites, and they are usually more secure, as previously stated.

Companies like Apple and Google have the funds to invest into a good UX design. This usually covers everything from their ecosystem of products and apps/UI to behind the scenes code and network design, which keep your connection to the cloud secure, and optimize loading times for maximized convenience.

Fortunately, many companies and organizations are starting to adopt these elements into their product design, so they are able to keep their data secure. This will also be a huge improvement for consumers because ease of access and secure data is already in or will likely soon be adopted by B2C companies all over the world.

28 - Tech n o l o gy To d ay

Since UX/UI design is a very new field, many organizations still lack the resources or knowledge to create a good UX design, or they simply don?t have the funding necessary to update their websites or apps. ?Another big thing is still figuring out ways to create metrics that show the positive impact of design by showing objective stats,? said Nishtha Ahuja, an in-house UX/UI designer.

?Another big thing is still figuring out ways to create metrics that show the positive impact of design by showing objective stats,? make our digital space a more organized and secure world.

Part of the design process of UX/UI design is shown.

(Courtesy of: Pinterest.)

Nishtha Ahuja, a UX/UI designer stands in front of bamboo for a portrait shot.

(Photo courtesy of: Nistha Ahuja.)

On the other hand, large companies like Apple and Google have created their own software and UX/UI guidelines. Such examples include Apple?s Human Interface guidelines and Material Design by Google. These are free knowledge sources to help people design or improve their UX/UI layout and formatting.

Hopefully, with some of the most influential tech companies coming out with guidelines for UX/UI design, they will have influence on interface and experience design to

The design process and framework for UX/UI design is shown.

(Courtesy of: UX beginner.)

A detailed insight into the process UX designers use to create the interfaces we use on a daily basis.

Courtesy of: Medium news and YUJdesign.

Fal l 2020 - 29

Lock icon shows secure connection

30 - Tech n o l o gy To d ay

TITLE

The webpage's general organization is very clean and simple, making its appearance very easy on the eyes with a very appealing user interface.

BYLINE

Extensions such as adblockers help keep web browsing secure and simple.

Title heirarchy organization

30 - Tech o l o gy Tr an si t i o n

Sources: Nishtha Ahuja for UX/UI design and research, Rahnik Vora for cybersecurity and how UX/UI are connected, and Code like a Girl (website) Code.likeagirl.io for more information on looking at UX/UI through a cybersecurity lens.

Account profile shows who is signed in

Mic button for quick and convenient searches

Aggressive advertisements

Fal l 2020 - 31

An Aver age Per son's Gu ide To Sm all Com pan ies

disadvant age in life in general. However, t he big com panies can't survive wit hout sm aller seed com panies. I will now t ell all of you readers about what goes on behind t he scenes in t hese gigant ic businesses.

By Max Rodriguez

You have your breakfast ,

A picture of a man from Cirrus Logic, a small tech company focused on audio such as speakers. (Photo by Cirrus Logic Inc.)

ll t he big t ech com panies rule our world, and no one can deny t hat . From TV's t o gam ing consoles t o com put ers, t echnology is prom inent in our everyday lives, and not having as m uch gives you a

A

32 - Tech n o l o gy To d ay

A microchip, made by Apple, as a primary focus of technology in general that is often overlooked. (Photo owned by Apple)

w h en I f i n d t h o se o p p o r t u n i t i es, i t 's m y d u t y t o get t h e r est o f t h e co m p an y al i gn ed b eh i n d t h o se o p p o r t u n i t i es so t h at w e can b e su ccessf u l i n w i n n i n g b u si n ess.

So t h at 's b r o ad l y w h at I d o .

drive out t o work and receive a briefing from your supervisor t hat Apple want s im proved speakers for t heir iPhones and t hey chose t he com pany you work at t o do it . You t alk wit h a t eam and st art discussing t he plan. You agree t o divide t he work up a cert ain way, and you work for a bit t hen eat lunch. Aft er lunch, one of your co-workers has a problem wit h t he t echnical st uff, and you help fix it .

The day ends wit h a

m eet ing regarding your progress wit h your vice president of t he com pany, and t hen you go hom e.

Now, t his m ay not be t he exact descript ion of a norm al workday at t he sm all com panies, but t hat is what was explained by Royst on Siow, who works at one of t hose sm all com panies him self. He gave t his advice on " I m ean , t h ey'r e p eo p l e, I t h i n k t h e co r e o f i t i s t h at i t i s i m p o r t an t t o b e ci v i l an d p o l i t e, b u t i t 's al so i m p o r t an t t o b e u sef u l ."

t alking t o a superior in general. " I m ean, t hey're people, I t hink t he core of it is t hat it is im port ant t o be civil and polit e, but it 's also im port ant t o be useful."

It is now t im e t o explain t he big pict ure of all t his. The big com panies ask for a specific t hing from a lot of different sm all com panies. The sm all com panies all com pet e t o sell t heir product s t o t he big com panies, such as Sam sung and Apple.

The big com panies t hen advert ise t heir product s t o t he

" An d I w i l l say t h at w h en I w en t t o co l l ege, o r w h en I st ar t ed go i n g t o co l l ege an d ch o o si n g m y m aj o r I t h o u gh t t h er e's al l t h i s, l ab s, so I t h o u gh t I w ould be a sci en t i st si t t i n g i n a l ab j u st w o r k i n g o n st u f f, j u st co m i n g u p w i t h i d eas an d ex ecu t i n g t h em ."

t ransit ion int o t he t ough world of t echnology.

Royst on Siow, professional engineer at Cirrus logic, has advice on how t o solve problem s in general. " I am an engineer by t raining, so when I went t o college, I st udied engineering at engineering school, and t hat 's exact ly how t hey t each t heir st udent s t o solve problem s. That 's really what engineering is, being present ed wit h a problem and t urning it int o a realist ic appraisal of t he problem , and t hen

public, and t he public buy t he product s. This is t he basic idea of what goes on in t he developm ent of devices.

Educat ion is very im port ant in t he t echnological world, as cert ain skills are The iPhone 11 with headphones, which are a primary focus of Cirrus Logic. needed t o do well in (Stock Photo owned by Apple), photo courtesy of Drew Coffman. t hose jobs. Tech workers, as well as m ost ot her workers, com bine t heir skills t o solve problem s t hat m at t er in t he real world. Som e of t he leading schools for t ech and engineering are UT, MIT and St anford. All of t hese Stock Photo owned by Google. schools will help you

Fal l 2020 - 33

breaking it down int o sm aller chunks, and t he com binat ion of t hose sm aller chunks let s you solve t he challenging problem ."

Here he explains t hat it is a good idea t o break problem s down int o sm aller pieces so t hat t he problem it self feels m ore realist ic. This advice is not only useful in t he engineering world but also for general life it self. Whenever you encount er a gigant ic problem This photo was part of an iPhone 12 leak.

Photo owned by Apple.

" I am an en gi n eer b y t r ai n i n g, so w h en I w en t t o co l l ege, I st u d i ed en gi n eer i n g at en gi n eer i n g sch o o l , an d t h at 's ex act l y h ow t h ey t each t h ei r st u d en t s t o so l ve p r o b l em s. T h at 's r eal l y w h at en gi n eer i n g i s, b ei n g p r esen t ed w i t h a p r o b l em an d t u r n i n g i t i n t o a r eal i st i c ap p r ai sal o f t h e p r o b l em , an d t h en b r eak i n g i t d ow n i n t o sm al l er ch u n k s, an d t h e co m b i n at i o n o f t h o se sm al l er ch u n k s l et s yo u so l ve t h e ch al l en gi n g p r o b l em ."

34 - Tech n o l o gy To d ay

t hat seem s im possible t o overcom e, breaking it down int o sm aller chunks overall m akes people feel bet t er about t he problem . This could even com e in handy for school project s. It is im port ant t o be organized for anyt hing in life, so t hat

you can m ake sense of

challenging problem s.

What about t he fact t hat different workers do different jobs?. Well rest assured, curious hum an, because t he quest ion will be answered here. You go t o work as an ext ernal worker when you hear t he int ernal side has finished t he product . You go, and t alk t o som e advert ising people who endorse your product over your com pet it or's product , and you wait for who Apple has chosen. It t urns out t hat t hey t hink your product is t he best out of all of t hem ,

and your boss says " Good work! " , and you get a pay raise. Your work is m ore involved wit h t he cust om ers as well. Ent ry-level ext ernal em ployees include clerks as well as som e ot hers. They don't get paid as m uch, but part of t heir job is t o int eract wit h t he cust om ers.

There is a saying t hat says, " The cust om er is always right ," . A big part of selling t he t echnology is t he appeal t o cust om ers.

According t o a st udy at MIT, 66% of cust om ers prefer saving t im e over m oney.

Nat urally, com panies like t o t ake advant age of t hings like t his by charging cust om ers a lot . Not all com panies do t his, but it is m ainly t he ext ernal workers' jobs t o m ake sure t he cust om er is sat isfied.

Let 's t ake an iPhone 6 as an exam ple. Many people know t hat t he iPhone 6 is a powerful, reliable phone, but som et im es it m ay out live it s usefulness early.

According t o BBC news, Apple was fined in 2017 for slowing down t he lit hium -ion bat t eries on

som e of t heir older m odels. Com panies oft en use warrant y for up t o a year t o keep t he cust om er sat isfied.According t o a survey conduct ed by MIT, solving problem s early like t his m akes 88% of cust om ers overall m ore likely t o buy product s from t he sam e com pany.

Because of t his principle, m any com panies have t o adjust t heir program s t o sat isfy t he cust om er and expand t heir cust om er base.

Overall, workers t ry t o do all of t his t o solve t he cust om er's problem s. All t he work t hat t hey do is t o m ake people happy, so t hat t hey can put food on t he t able. Whenever you buy an iPhone, however, rem em ber t hat while you are helping m any workers, you are also m aking t he owner of Apple richer.

Everyone has t o choose wisely who t hey support , and t hat is why I wrot e about t he sm all com panies. In t his challenging t im e,

The logo for Cirrus Logic, the small tech company we focus on today.(Logo created by Cirrus Logic Inc.)

t hey need your help. They need t o help support t hose com panies, so t hat t he whole world can choose which com panies will st ay aft er t he pandem ic. Rem em ber, wit hout t he help of t he sm all com panies t hat m ake all t he sm all feat ures of t he t echnology you love, t echnology would have no fut ure. So next t im e you go buy an iPhone or even a t oast er oven, t hink, " Do I really need t his, and do I really want t his com pany t o st ay?" . The decision is yours, as t he cust om er and t he shaper of t he m odern world.

Photo owned by Kinaxis.

An d I w o u l d say w e w o r k o n ver y i m p o r t an t p i eces o f t h at p r o j ect , l i k e t h e sp eak er s, fo r ex am p l e, w e ar e o n e o f t h e l ead er s i n sel l i n g ch i p s t h at p ow er t h e sp eak er s o f sm ar t p h o n es, an d an y t i m e yo u h ear au d i o , i f yo u 'r e h av i n g a Facet i m e cal l o r w h at ever an d u si n g t h e sp eak er , o r even i f yo u 'r e t ak i n g a p h o n e cal l , t h at au d i o i s co m i n g t h r o u gh o u r p r o d u ct .

Yeah , w el l t h e w ay t h e m ar k et p l ace i s t o d ay, an d i t 's r eal l y co m p l ex so I'm n o t go n n a go i n t o al l t h e gr an d t h eo r y o f m o d er n co r p o r at e ex i st en ce, b u t yo u h ave a b u n ch o f co m p an i es t h at ar e ver y l ar ge an d ver y d o m i n an t i n t h e w o r l d , fo r ex am p l e Ap p l e, Go o gl e, Sam su n g, r i gh t , an d t h ey r each i n t o m an y asp ect s o f o u r l i ves.

An d even t h o u gh yo u 'r e a sm al l co m p an y feed i n g a l ar ger co m p an y, I m ean , i t st i l l m at t er s.

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The Sm art Behind t he Fridge

By Max Rodriguez

Like ot her fridges, t he sm art fridge can filt er w at er.

You can change the temperature of the fridge yourself, but there are also sensors on the fridge that change the temperature based on the environment.

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The m ost unique feat ure of t he sm art fridge is t he screen. You can creat e grocery list s on it , look up recipes, and even jot dow n not es on it .

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38 - Tech n o l o gy To d ay

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Our M agazi ne Goal : We made our magazine about relevant fields in technology that are regularly overlooked by the general public, but are fundamental to how our technology works. By writing articles on how these devices work, more people will be able to appreciate how much work goes into making the technologies that society uses everyday to maintain our modern society.