Learning about Bluetooth

Bluetooth was invented in 1993 as a way to connect electronic gadgets to each other. It was invented in Sweden by Jaap Haartsen, who named the technology after a King with a dead tooth, giving him the nickname "blue tooth". Bluetooth is a short-range wireless technology standard. It allows for data exchange between fixed and mobile devices. I use Bluetooth every time I am in my car to play music. On the settings on my iPhone, I am able to click on the Bluetooth and my wifi and the music from my car plays on my phone and vice versa. This has changed the way I and so many other people use technology and listen to music. Its other goals were low power usage and better battery life. 86 percent of all vehicles now offer Bluetooth. An average of 44 million Bluetooth speakers are sold per year. Apple car play developed on the idea of Bluetooth. I have this in my car and it allows me to put google maps from my phone onto my car, listen to podcasts, and do a ton of other things. Computers, smartphones, audio devices, and gaming consoles are all different types of technology people can use Bluetooth with. Bluetooth has become extremely popular over recent years and is used for so many different things.  

Google

Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin started Google in 1999 while at Stanford University as graduate students. By the age of 31, they were billionaires. Google never needed to advertise because from the beginning, users spread the news about how fast and efficient the search service was, and the best part, it’s free! Google's motto “Don't be evil” is their belief that one must do good in the world and has launched google into an ambitious philanthropic organization over the past few years. 

Google started as a graduate school project and the goal was to perfect how people search for information on the world wide web. The monumental problem they were trying to solve in the world wide web environment was “how can you find the best data for your purposes from an enormous amount of available data?” The end goal was to make the world's information available online through search. Larry and Sergey both had incredible talents that allowed them to become a team and create google. Larry’s dorm room became their first data center and Sergey created an office in his dorm room. They found investors and capital venture firms to support the business as it was beginning. Google not only has changed the world of search but also the world of advertising and communication. People now depend on Google for so many things including shopping, news, research, and quick answers. Google is also the leading search engine because of its ability to provide the most relevant and up-to-date information. Google uses a complex algorithm that puts the most up-to-date information at the top when someone searches for something

It is no secret that Google has changed our world, especially because the number of Google searches per day has grown from 9,800 in 1998 to over 4.7 trillion today. One way it is affecting us is that as humans being that we are relying on Google to store long-term knowledge instead of using our own brains. I use Google every single day, usually multiple times a day to find out information from basic facts to information for schoolwork and so much more. I find that I commit a lot less to memory because I know that if I need the answer to something I can just look it up on google and find an answer within seconds. This seems positive but I feel myself and many others would be much more intelligent if we stored our knowledge in our brain instead of using Google for even the most basic questions. Google has changed the way I shop as well. Instead of going to specific websites you can go on Google and type in blue jeans and find an array of different websites and companies selling blue jeans. Google has transformed the way we communicate. For example, Gmail was invented around a decade ago by google and has changed ways of email and communication forever. Features like voicemail transcription, call recording, call routing, and conferencing are all new and important tools for individuals and businesses that have completely changed communication. A new feature called Google plus hangouts allows up to 10 people in a call where participants can chat, text, share documents, and screen share. Google Hangout has 540 million active users and includes free video conferencing that connects users anywhere in the world for free. Google has practically taken over online communication and is still finding new ways to improve technology. Google has also changed the social media game. Google Analytics now tracks who visits your website across different social media platforms, some including Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and LinkedIn. Google has pretty much changed every aspect of our world and goes even further beyond what anyone can imagine. For even more information watch The History of Google.

Google. (n.d.). Google. Google Books. Retrieved February 7, 2022, from https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=OZJxDwAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PR5&dq=google&ots=fA4zOKnKNZ&sig=WqJKPiojqCASjZmW9uMO2Xqg3VM#v=onepage&q=google&f=false

AcademicEarth.org, a Red Ventures Company. (2015, January 26). How the internet is changing your brain. Academic Earth. Retrieved February 7, 2022, from https://academicearth.org/electives/internet-changing-your-brain/

Do google use social media in their search algorithm? Channel Digital. (n.d.). Retrieved February 7, 2022, from https://www.channeldigital.co.uk/seo-articles/do-google-use-social-media-links-in-their-ranking-algorithm.html

8 Values of Free Expression

We have talked a lot about the first amendment and why is so important to our country. The eight values of free expression feel personal to me especially with the climate we are in today. Each of the eight values of free expression discussed I see in action today. For each theory, there is something going on in the real world today that ties the two together and helps to explain it.

Promote Innovation and Protect Dissent are two that resonated with me for a couple of reasons. Promote innovation says that “a community in which free speech is valued and protected is likely to be more energized, creative, interesting society as its citizens actively fulfill themselves in many diverse and interesting ways.” When I think of this theory the first two things that come to my mind are COVID-19 and the Black Lives Matter movement. While the effects were not all positive and may have gone too far, groups of people came together to stand up for what they believe in which is what makes our country so different and so special. These people likely felt a sense of belonging and fulfillment from acting on their first amendment rights. I feel when people take advantage of the first amendment it creates a more energized and interesting world, which then makes people feel freer. During the Black Lives Matter movement groups of people band together on social media to take advantage of their first amendment and speak how they feel. Now people take to different platforms to speak about their rights involving the repercussions of COVID-19. This also resonates with me because I feel like with the political climate we are in today you can be shut down, canceled, or invalidated because of your feelings, political views, or the things you say both online and in person. I think this freedom is important and I think people need to remember it before hating people with different beliefs than their own. Without this freedom our country could become like many other countries and our freedom could be taken away.

The second freedom that resonates with me the most is Protect Dissent. This says “our system is not supposed to be one of mob rule. The first amendment protects minority views, no matter how unpopular. You have a strongly protected right to disagree with the government – and everyone else. In fact, it is your patriotic duty to criticize the government.” This relates to what I said about the previous freedom. Being that it is our duty to criticize the government nobody should be getting canceled for doing just that. Our country is so polarized that people feel if somebody disagrees with them they should have no right to speak at all. Our country is based upon freedom of speech and without it, our country will not be free. While privately-owned social media companies such as Facebook and Twitter have the right to remove information that they disagree with, I think it is tampering with the first amendment and causing even more polarization and hate. It seems like people are pressured into not speaking up if their views are not the most common ones. For example, during Donald Trump's presidency people who voted for and supported him were looked down on, criticized, and even completely canceled. It was so rare to see people speak up and show support for their president because they were afraid of what people would think about them and the results it would have on their lives, especially celebrities and influencers. Facebook was also deleting posts where the views went against that of the democratic party and eventually banned the president from using the app for the rest of his presidency. ​​

Facebook Bans President Trump For The Rest Of His Presidency : Capitol Insurrection Updates : NPR. It seemed to me Facebook and Instagram would block and delete posts and claim it was “misleading” information when in actuality they did not want people seeing posts disagreeing with the democratic view. Criticizing the government is our right and there should be no "mob rule" against people who disagree with the majority. Agreeing with the government is just as legal as disagreeing with the government. Everyone is free to feel how they feel and there should be no anger towards people who feel a different way than you, even if they are not the majority.

The Thrill of a Lifetime - Skydive Key West

“Ready to jump?” Not really, I thought to myself while 10,000 feet up in the air looking down at the Gulf of Mexico and also death. Never did I think I would trust some string and a man I had never met before with my life.

When I think of a significant event, nothing pops into my head faster than that one time I jumped out of a plane. I have never described myself as a thrill-seeker. I played sports while growing up, but was never the type to put myself in harm's way to save a goal or anything like that. I mean, I don’t even like roller coasters. I have an extensive bucket list, but skydiving was never on there. I could not even picture myself jumping out of a plane while I was in the plane getting ready to jump out of it. While I am not an adrenaline junky, I also do not lose bets. When my best friend bet that I would not jump out of a plane, that is when I decided to do it.

My college best friend of only a few years now is a total thrill-seeker and has always wanted to go skydiving. We went to Key West, Florida in July to celebrate his twenty-first birthday. Key West just happens to have one of the most beautiful sky diving experiences in the world. The thing about skydiving is that you cannot book it far in advance because of the weather. I told myself for months and months that there was no way the weather was going to cooperate with us, or maybe I just hoped and prayed that it wouldn’t. However, with my luck, it got to be July 12th and the skies were completely clear. We sat down at breakfast around ten in the morning and called Skydive Key West. We asked if they had any openings to skydive and they told us that if we got there by one we would be fine, but that there was a storm coming later in the afternoon.

We rushed back to the hotel and changed before calling an Uber to bring us to the place that would soon put our harnesses on and send us off with almost no instruction. On the way there I was telling myself that the storm would come and that we would not be able, or have to in my case, jump. The next thing I knew I was 10,000 feet up in the air looking down at the Gulf of Mexico and out at a thunderstorm coming towards me, with a random man attached to my back. I had only met this man 20 minutes ago and there he was telling me “We should be fine to jump, but we better go soon”. The doors busted open and the coldest rush of wind filled the plane. At this point I knew there was only one way down, and to be honest, I was ready to get out of that tiny unstable plane. I watched my best friend jump, and then before I could even blink my instructor launched us out of the plane head first. All of a sudden my feet were on the ground again, and I realized how brave I really am.

SEO TERMS: Skydive, Skydive Key West, Skydiving, Thrilling experiences

SCOTUS history

Both the video we watched in class and this Supreme Court - HISTORY article changed the way I think about The Supreme Court. I always knew that it was important, but I did not know the extent of how crucial it is for the United States to have. Without The Supreme Court, we may not be a free country. The supreme court can deem new laws unconstitutional, and without this power, we may become a monarchy. 

The Supreme Court is the highest federal court in the country and the head of the judicial branch of government. The Supreme Court is unlike any other court in the world and ensures that laws throughout the United States are deemed constitutional. In the video, they compared being appointed to the supreme court to being struck by lightning which I was most surprised to hear. I was also surprised to hear that this is a position that is held until the justice dies or retires. The Supreme Court handles extremely important issues like the most devise issue in the history of the Supreme Court, the question of slavery, and the Dread Scott Decision. 

I was unaware of the process of The Supreme Court Decisions. There are nine supreme court justices including the chief justice. During supreme court cases, there are lawyers on each side of the court, which was a fact that I found interesting and was unsure how I did not previously know of. Each case ends with justices voting and one justice gets assigned to write an opinion describing the legal decision. After that other justices can write other opinions, and just like that the previous majority may become the minority. Justices then will release copies of their opinion to the press. Lastly, they will report what the court has decided on and why. 

The most important takeaway is that when it comes to the Supreme Court, the power of the court is the power of trust earned. People have not always supported the court's authority. People not trusting the court could take away all of the freedom that this country is built on. The Supreme Court is crucial to our country and needs to keep the trust of the people to ensure the freedom of the United States. The most surprising thing I learned during the video was how important the Supreme Court is, and how much power it holds as sort of the “glue” that holds our country together and keeps it free. I was surprised to understand that no matter how polarized our country is, people keep their trust in The Supreme Court.

My top 5 News Sources!

I love to keep up to date with what's going on in the world around me, from politics to pop culture. Finding trusted and nonbias new sources to get information from can be difficult, especially in the environment we are in today. With complete polarization throughout our country, it can be hard to find political news that is just stating facts rather than inserting an opinion to change how people view certain issues. Since I know how hard it is to find unbias news sources with straight facts I try to take in information from both sides when looking at political news. However, of course, there is also news that may not affect my life in any way but can still be fun to follow, like pop culture!

#1 Eonline.com

E-News (Entertainment news) is my favorite place to get the most recent news on celebrities and anything pop culture. E! Online has all of the latest news including sections such as “trending now” “today’s hot photos” and “this just in”. There are also sections for more specific types of celebrity news which are ideal for people more interested in specific topics. For example, a whole section for The Kardashians and Bachelor Nation has its own coverage too!  I am even subscribed to E-News alerts, which keeps me up to date with all breaking celebrity news. I like E-news because they are on so many different platforms. They have a website, every social media you can think of, and even had a show up until recently. E-News is the perfect pop culture news source because you can get information about any celebrity drama in so many different places.

#2 Mom

As mentioned in the introduction, finding trusted information can be hard. Which is the reason for my second favorite news source. There is no one I trust more than my mom, and she loves to keep me up to date on all of the latest news. My mom is extremely smart and loves to keep herself in the loop on all things politics and pop culture. I can always count on my mom to keep me in the loop about what is going on. When she sees something interesting she will send me a screenshot of the post or article she is looking at. I also know that if I ask her a question about what is going on in the world, she will go out of her way to find and send me trusted articles. My mom always tells me that while politics may not affect me at this time in my life, soon they will and that it is extremely important to know what is going on in the world around me. I love that important information and news is sent to me every day by my mom to keep me up to date. When in doubt about what type of news and information to trust, try asking a parent!

#3 CNN

I like to go to CNN when looking for news and information. Not because of my political views but because I like to take in both sides from far left-wing to the far right-wing. While I am aware CNN is biased and leans pretty far left, I believe it is important to be looking at news coming from both sides. I think it is nearly impossible to find news where the writer does not take a side in some way, so at least this way I can understand the issue and compare the news to a source more right-winged. I find that this helps me put opinions to the side and understand the facts. Instead of trying to find a neutral source, I prefer this way because I find it helps to make me smarter and also helps me realize what is facts and what is opinion. I think everyone who watches or gets their news from CNN or Fox should try also looking at the opposite source at least once a week. However, I do also like how CNN has such a wide variety of news ranging from sports to the Royal Family in England!

#4 Fox News

Fox News is the other news source that I get news and information. I like Fox News section on their website “exclusive clips” because it is actual clips from TV that you can just click on and watch at any time. However, like CNN I am aware it is biased and in order to look at and follow FOX news, I find it important to also follow CNN or a news source on the opposite end politically. I believe our country is so polarized because once someone chooses a news source, they are completely influenced by that side. It is always important to hear the opposite side's opinion to be completely informed and understand the facts.

#5 Instagram

I am on Instagram so often that it is definitely in my top 5 news sources. I follow around 1,000 accounts, so I am always getting different types of news on my feed. I like getting my information from here because it is a fun and less serious way.
Watching FOX and CNN is informative and important, but getting news while scrolling through Instagram is way more fun. It feels less forced and can be less upsetting because one post will be something sad happening in society, and then the next will be a funny video to take your mind off of it. Sometimes our news can be pretty upsetting, especially in this day and age. I truly find that just looking at the news on my phone can change my whole mood. I like Instagram because I am still getting informed and learning, but it is not so serious. Of course, I also like to follow the pop culture pages to get information on celebrity drama. If you are someone who feels like the news can change your mood or even ruin your day, follow some news outlets on your Instagram so that it is mixed in with funny videos and pictures of friends and family!