Article 1/20 - All you need to do is cry

http://money.cnn.com/2014/01/17/technology/innovation/google-contacts/#tech?hpt=tech_zite1_featured

This article from CNN talks about the new development from Google that would help diabetics. Surprisingly this help would come in the form of contact lenses. How these lenses work are that they have tiny glucose sensors in them that measure the the glucose levels every second. This would be a great alternative to having the daily routine of using blood test strips. The person would not have to prick their fingers every time they wanted to test their blood levels. The lenses are still currently in development. These lenses are coming from the same division of Google known as Google X Labs. This division also is working on the famous driverless cars and balloons that transmit Wifi. Overall this article was interesting because you would not think that the solution to avoiding test strips for diabetes would be in your eyes. The purpose is to inform about a new development by Google which would help diabetics. The intended audience is those interested in medical technology and Google itself. One interesting aspect of the article is that the author appears to almost glorify Google. 

Article 1/5 - A way to actually keep your New Year's Resolution

http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304137304579290631043862634

This article from the Wall Street Journal talks about a new fitness app, called FitStar, which uses algorithms to create workouts based on your own inputted feedback. The app also can receive personalized data from fitness devices made by Fitbit and Jawbone. With the help of NFL player Tony Gonzalez in instructional videos and motivational input, the app pushes you to complete the goals that you input. How it works is after every workout you choose either "too easy", "just right", or "brutal", and with that data the app calculates what your next workout should entail. The app is currently only available on the Appstore, but it is free and costs five dollars a month for all of the features. The company is currently working on including warmups and cool downs along with the workouts, as well as injury recovery which has been requested by users. The purpose of this article is to inform about and review a new app called FitStar. The intended audience is those interested in mobile technology, or those looking to get into shape. The author establishes ethos because he used and rated the app himself. He appeals to pathos by talking about the struggle to stay in shape that everyone can relate to. Furthermore he establishes logos by providing examples and data to back up his overall review of the app. Overall I think this is a cool app and I might use it over the summer as a extra workout.

Article 12/15 - A New Device to Help First Responders

http://www.cnn.com/2013/12/09/tech/innovation/bounce-imaging-explorer-disaster-emergency/index.html?iid=article_sidebar

This article from CNN talks about a new imaging device called the Bounce Imaging Explorer, which would help first responders evaluate different crisis situations without putting themselves in danger. This device is the size of a baseball and, after thrown, can offer a wide range of sensory from temperature to imaging. Applications of this could be fireman, policeman, and search and rescuers. The inventor of the device, Francisco Aguilar, was inspired by the 2010 earthquake in Haiti. He watched on television how so many people had been trapped in the rubble, and the efforts of search and rescue to try and find them with things like fiber optics. Though these fiber optics are useful, they are expensive and somewhat difficult and slow to use. In order to solve this problem he invented his Bounce Imaging Explorer. It is easy to use, and he hopes that it will price from five hundred to a thousand dollars. The purpose of this article is to inform of a new way to help evaluate crisis situations. The intended audience is those interested in technology or search and rescue efforts. This article uses description and also emotional appeal with the anecdote of the author in regards to Haiti. I found this article interesting and would like to see one of these sensors in real life

Article 12/8 - LOOK UP IN THE SKY! IT'S A BIRD... IT'S A PLANE... no it's another Amazon delivery

http://www.cnn.com/2013/12/02/tech/innovation/amazon-drones-questions/index.html?iref=allsearch

This article from CNN talks about Amazon's announcement regarding their research and development of a delivery system manned by drones. How it would work is that there are centers where the drone would leave, then fly to your doorstep and drop off the package. When it is ready, it will only be available mostly to people who live in urban areas or in a ten mile radius of warehouse centers. With all of this development it needs to be recognized that this technology is nowhere around the corner. There are still problems that need to be fixed. Issues include: battery life of drones (right now only thirty minutes), prevention of being shot down (humans like to try and shoot things out of the sky), possible malfunction (the package could drop and hit someone on the head), and bad weather protection (heavy rain and snow inhibit the drones sensors). With all of these downsides, Amazon says the technology is very feasible, and there are examples of drone technology already being used in other parts of the world. The purpose of this article is to inform and analyze the recent announcement by Amazon regarding drone delivery. The intended audience is those interested in technology, drones, and faster deliveries. The author establishes ethos by being a technology writer for CNN. Logos is established by providing quotes and statistics. Pathos is established by talking about certain common sense ideas such as "What prevents people from just shooting it down?". Overall, this was an entertaining article and I am excited for the possible technology. 

Article 11/29 - The Gambit that is Black Friday

http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304281004579217863262940166?mod=trending_now_2

This article from the Wall Street Journal talks about how Black Friday deals are not really deals. Retailers actually engineer the prices and discounts and then work backwards to the starting price so they have almost the same profits all the time. According to research of thirty one retailers, between the years of 2009-2012, the number of discounts available increased by 63%,  and the average discount value increased from 25 to 36%. But, while all this occurred the gross margins (difference between what they paid and the price at which they sold) hovered around 27.9% barely increasing or decreasing. This gambit is partially because people are hungry for a sale, whether or not it actually is one. For example, Penney's CEO, Ron Johnson, lost his job because he avoided the system of discounted high pricing and just stuck to low prices. This caused sales to drop because people did not see any "sale" sign. The purpose of this article is to inform about the strategies of retailers today and also the way the general populous shops. The intended audience is those interested in the idea of Black Friday, how retail companies work, and also general discount shopping. The author establishes ethos by backing up her argument with examples, and also being from the Wall Street Journal. Logos is established through statistics from many studies and quotes from interviews. Pathos is established by talking about the idea of how everyone likes to get a good deal. Overall I thought this was an interesting article and enjoyed reading it.

Article 11/17 - JFK

http://www.cnn.com/2013/11/16/us/jfk-assassination-conspiracy-theories-debunked/index.html?hpt=hp_c2

This article from CNN talks about different conspiracy theories regarding the JFK assassination, and specifically a Dallas resident, Dave Perry, who has spent years researching the subject. He regards how there are numerous conspiracy theories regarding the assassination, but goes into detail about the five most famous ones that have circulated. Perry goes on to disprove four of the theories ranging from LBJ doing it to the "mob". The only one, he says, is tough to disprove is that the CIA ordered it. There's always ambiguity revolving around the CIA so there will never really be a way of finding out. The purpose of this article is to inform about and argue different conspiracy theories about the assassination of JFK. The intended audience is those interested in the subject and JFK. Perry establishes ethos since he has been researching the assassination for 37 years. He establishes logos through his extensive research. He establishes pathos by appealing to everyone general curiosity regarding the conspiracies. Overall, I enjoyed reading this article.

Article 11/10 - "IT WAS OUT", "NO IT WAS IN"

http://blogs.wsj.com/numbersguy/sports-make-final-call-on-technology-1292/

This article from the Wall Street Journal talks about the accuracy of technology used to measure where balls land in sports. The article specifically focuses on a company called Hawk-Eye which is used in many sports including tennis and soccer. The technology is used in situations in tennis when it is too close to call whether the ball was out, and in soccer when it is too close to call whether the ball crossed the goal line. In both situations the technology is very beneficial and trusted by most officials. The only problem is that because of how realistic the replays look to viewers, it is accepted that it is exactly where the ball landed. Overall this technology has a very slim chance for error and is widely accepted in many different applications. The purpose of this article is to inform readers about the growing use of technology to aid calls in sports. The intended audience is those who are interested in this subject or just sports or technology in general. The author of this article establishes very little ethos through being a credible writer on the Wall Street Journal, logos through different quotes and statistics from Hawk-Eye and other researchers, and pathos by presenting the article in such a way that is easy and relatable. We can all think of a game or match where no one was 100% sure whether that ball crossed the line and that's hopefully where this technology will help.