iPhones

An article in the Wall Street Journal complained about the use of iPhones in the work place. The author has evaluated what the iPhone can and cannot do in the work place. Unlike other smart phone such a Blackberrys, the iPhone does not require password protection for things such as email. Companies are worried that important information will be easily leaked through iPhones if they continue to be used. The author argues that the phones are not compatible for many programs needed on business phone and the phone is not appropriate for work. He is also trying to use logos to stop the spread of the phone by using information about the phone. In the end I don’t think this argument is effective. In an earlier blog I wrote someone evaluated the iPhone, saying it was the best phone for college students on the market. IPhones are definitely taking over the market by storm and this article is not going to stop it.

Diet Soda

I have already done a blog post on diet sodas and artificial sweeteners, but I found another article on it that I found very interesting. Since this is a topic that has been questioned by many more and more tests come out each month. The news clip I first read was about tests going on at Purdue University, and this article is about researchers at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio. The articles pretty much said the same things but through different testing. The same website produced both articles within a month of each other. I found it interesting that they are so admit about convincing their readers not to drink diet soda. By bringing up their argument over and over they have a better chance of success.

Demand for the Wii

In an article I read, it explained why there is shortage of the gaming system the Nintendo Wii, and what is to blame.  At the beginning of the article the writer gains the trust of the reader by citing information from a game industry analyst.  The Wii gains more profits in Europe then it does in America, therefore there is a shortage here.  The shortage here is also creating a high demand for the product.  Now that the demand in Europe is dying they are being redirected to America.  The author quotes reliable sources and evaluates Nintendo’s marketing strategy.

Best and Worst Dressed

On People Magazine’s website they recently evaluated the kids choice awards best and worst dressed.  The article included pictures and evaluations of all the celebrities that attended.  While people who play it safe with plain outfits get praised, many who stepped outside of the box got criticized. They gave their opinions and then said what they thought would make the outfit better, this made me wonder who was to be the judge of their outfits.  Many that they deemed as ugly I thought were pretty cute.  I think People needs to work on their credentials before judging others outfits, as a reader I don’t really trust their opinions.

Privacy Act

Senator Obama’s passport information was recently looked at by three different contract workers. The government is currently evaluating the situation to decide if there were political motives or not. Although they believe no real harm may have been done, it is still a breach of privacy that could be potentially dangerous. The government is taking precautionary measures to reassure the public that that they are honest and hard working. If the senator’s files could be breached, that means that it could happen to anyone. This violation of the Privacy Act has everyone worried, and the government is using an evaluation to reassure people that they are handling the situation.

BMW 5 series

I recently read an evaluation of BMW’s new 5 series. The new diesel powered car gets more miles per gallon’s than Toyotas Prius. The 5 series gets about 42 miles to the gallon, beating the Prius by almost a mile. Although the difference is not huge it is still a huge step in the right direction and has raised many questions about new technologies. The new battery saving features, and six speed transmissions have increased the fuel economy by 10%. This new technology may be used in many car manufactures in the future. Having a sports car compare to one of the most fuel efficient cars ever made is certainly an achievement. This evaluation raises the awareness of new technology and BMW’s eco-friendly practices.

XBox

I read an article that evaluated gaming systems. In the article Squaretrade, a company that specializes in providing warranty support to purchasers of electronic goods stated that 16% of all XBox's had problems within 6 to 10 months of use. Most gaming consoles have only a 3% problem rate making XBox poor in comparison. They use statistics to compare the system to other like it and have information that is backed up by reliable sources, which is key when writing a good evaluation. The article gives you suggestions on what systems to buy and how to avoid problems. If I were a gamer i think this would be extremely important information and it definitely makes me think about the quality of XBox's.

Semi-Pro

I read an evaluation of the movie Semi-Pro starring Will Ferrell and I thought it was pretty interesting. Like many of the examples from the book, the evaluation compared the movie to his other films and to films in the same category based on box office sales and reviews. This relates to the discussion we had in class about what makes a movie funny. Who should be the judge to say what is funnier than something else. Although Semi-Pro was number one in the box office by over 3 million dollars it was still considered somewhat of a failure. They blame this on the movie being rated R, but also on the slowing economy. I saw the movie this weekend and I thought it was really funny, however the article didn’t really agree. I thought it was interesting that they were able to be the judge.