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November 29, 2006
PAPA
Over the last several years, the realm of technology and privacy has been transformed, creating landscape that is both dangerous and undermining to humankind.. As computer technology advances, it is becoming easier for different institutions to access personal information, and as a result individual privacy faces new threats on human dignity.
In this new information age, retailers are able to track down every customer’s activity, from what they buy to what websites they visit, to determine the kind of sales promotion they should utilize. By monitoring each customer, retailers have the power and knowledge to offer different sales promotions to persuade customers to buy their product. While one customer might be paying one price another might be paying twice as much. Companies such Amazon.com, Ice.com, DelightfulDeliveries.com, and Overstock.com have been constantly mining for customer information or as others might come to think as invasion of privacy. This kind of collecting and distribution is extremely detrimental to human dignity and threatens our privacy.
The solution of securing our dignity lies in the simple acronym-PAPA. Privacy, accuracy, property, and accessibility are the four major issues of information ethics for this information age. To enhance the dignity of mankind, information systems should protect personal information and prevent companies from invading a person’s privacy. Also, there should be laws to limit the extent of information companies can access on the internet. As we do not have people following us throughout our daily lives, we should not have people tracking our every move on the internet.
Posted by annakrem at 08:07 PM | Comments (0)
Another Apple Blog
Zune Who???
According to many financial analysts, look right here, Microsoft's new Zune music player should not instill any fear in Apple, Inc. this holiday season. Debuting on November 15, 2006, there has not been much customer interest in the new player. Zune has also not been receiving many recommendations from retailers (only about 8% recommend the Zune while 75% recommend the iPod). Another sad note in the Zune deathspiral, many retailers don't even know what the Zune is. Currently, the Zune directly competes with the 30Gb video iPod, and currently, according to Deutsche Bank analyst Chris Whitmore "[the 30Gb iPod] appear to be immune to the Zune." Finally, the reviews of the Zune, something that could possibly boost Zune's sales, have been less than good.
In an earlier blog, our group chose to write about the Zune. many of us, including myself, thought that the Zune could at least rival the iPod for the holiday season. Mainly, I personally felt this way because normally Microsofts puts out a good product. However, we were sadly mistaken. Prior to its debut, the Zune received alot of hype, mainly by Microsoft. After Nov. 15, the "Zune balloon" had a slow leak in it. The week following its debut, the Zune only ranked 7th, among other MP3 players currently on the market. Microsoft made a valiant effort to gain some market share in the MP3 industry; however, many companies (Samsung, Apple, SanDisk) have already had many years of experience in this field. Overall, I was disappointed with the Zune. Based upon the hype it received, it turned out to be a flop. Yay for Apple!!!
Drumroll...and the Zune...
But wait, it looks just like the iPod, only not as cool...
Posted by cheek at 11:03 AM | Comments (0)
Apple, Philanthropy, and...Bono?
So what happens when the divisions between charitable donations and for-profit opportunities start to blur? What happens when a company starts to build its brand image around the organizations it supports? What happens when Apple and Bono team up to launch a special edition of the ipod?
...You get... the Bono-pod!
In a unique example of "cause marketing," Apple teamed up with U2'sBono in October to launch the ipod nano "red," which is part of Bono's larger campaign to raise money and awareness to fight AIDS in Africa. For each ipod nano "red" that is sold Apple will donate $10 to the global fund to fight AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria.
The idea behind "cause marketing" is to form enduring partnerships with corporations in order to create long-lasting results. However, in the past this type of philanthropic/marketing endeavor has been more prominent among clothing and food products since product margins in the electronics industry are typically low. But Apple, in its tradition as leaders of the pack, has gone ahead and done it anyway.
And it is, in my opinion, a smart, strategic decision. Not only do 8 out of 10 people say that companies who align themselves with a cause are more likely to earn their trust, but Americans are known for buying products which build their own individual images. Not to mention Bono's "swagger-cool" persona that is bound to rub off on Apple and the ipod "red." So basically, anyone who buys the ipod "red" can feel comfortable saying, "I care about the world," and "Now, I am pretty much as cool as Bono."
Launches like this keeps the brand fresh; in fact, encouraging people to buy a new or an additional ipod is a major growth opportunity for Apple. And Apple knows it, which is why, of all the places/times Apple and Bono could have launched the product, they chose "The Oprah Winfrey Show"- one of the most watched shows in America, and infamous for flashy marketing tricks, like giving cars out to everyone in the audience, or now, introducing the Bono-pod.
Check out...
and
Bono, Apple go Red for a Cause
for more information!
Posted by tawr at 09:30 AM | Comments (0)
November 27, 2006
Blog for Week of Nov. 27
Back in Black...NOT
Currently, there are two generations of the iPod Nano. The 1st generation was strictly either the black or white versions. The new 2nd generation iPod Nanos are now multi-colored and come in different gigabyte memory sizes. Some of the new colors include silver, blue, green, pink, and black. Before these iPods were released, many analysts predicted that the black and silver iPods would be the hottest sellers; however, that is only 50% true. Currently, the silver iPod is outperforming all of the other colors. Silver is followed by the blue and green iPods, which are trailed by the pink and black ones.
I personally own two separate iPods. I bought the silver Ipod mini when it first came out, then later purchased the 30G black video iPod about one year ago. I use the silver iPod mainly for my workouts because it is smaller and weighs less. I use the black iPod more for walking to class and taking on trips. I currently do not own an iPod nano, but if I did, I would want the black iPod nano. Personally, I prefer the basic white and black colors. I feel that these colors are sleek and modern, while the colored ones seem like a child's toy. This may be one way that Apple is trying to target the younger generation by providing more customizable features or those people that currently do not own iPods. Many of those who currently own iPods enjoy the features of the iPod, not necessarily the colors. In the end, I like the black iPod and would personally purchase it.
Link to article...Not...Yes it is
Posted by cheek at 08:20 PM | Comments (0)
November 09, 2006
Topic Announcement
TaDa: Our Topic is Apple, Co.!!!
Our group, group #80, has chosen to focus on Apple, Co. as a whole. We chose Apple for three main reasons:
- They have many new products coming out
- They always seem to be in the spotlight
- Many people are familiar with Apple and can relate to our topic
Posted by cheek at 06:05 PM | Comments (0)
November 01, 2006
Search Tool Blog #2
Google is actually better than I thought it was!
I feel that I have spoke too soon. In a prior blog, a recently stated that Grokker far surpassed Google as a search engine. Well, I may have to stick my foot in my mouth. They are both equally good, but for different reasons. Grokker is good because it takes all of the relevant information and places it into an outline format, which is easy to read and use. Google is great because you can search from Google News or Google Blog Search.
Google News is an excellent feature that I never knew Google had. If you click on the News link above the search box, Google then compiles all of today's top headlines from different newspapers and places them on the screen. You can also choose subcategories for your News such as Sports, Business, or, everybody's favorite, Science and Technology. After choosing a subset, Google then compiles the most recent headlines in that area, and places them on the screen. Another great thing about this is the fact that Google also lists different websites that wrote that articles regarding that same company. For example, if I wanted to find recent headlines about Apple, I would type that into the search bar. Then, Google lists the results. On this particular day, the top headline is "Apple iTunes Store Starts Latin Section." Listed under this headline, there are also three websites that have articles about this particular topic. You can then not only read the main article but what other sites wrote as well.
Another great tool that Google offers is its Blog search. From this site, you can search Blogs about particular topics or companies. For example, if I wanted to find all of the blogs written about Apple, all I have to do is type that into the search bar and await the results. As you can see from that page, you can see all of the options you have, such as looking at blogs that were published weeks ago, or even adding an RSS feed. You can even subscribe to these Blogs by setting an alert that will update the Blogs to your specific choosing.
Overall, I like the ease of use that Grokker offers, but Google's resources and the amount of options you have are also very nice. Our group has used and will use both of these search engines extensively in order to focus more on our specific topic.
Posted by cheek at 03:47 PM | Comments (0)