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Manhattan Digest

All you need to know about Manhattan culture and so much more...

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Alex David Jimenez

Movie Trailers are the New Black

by Alex David Jimenez

There, I said it. We’re all thinking it. Or perhaps, when in fact studying the craft that is designing a film trailer nowadays, in all their ostentatious glory – perhaps movie trailer teasers are in fact the new black. And then all the young boys and girls of a certain sort stand proudly and truculently in their not-so-common Storm Trooper costumes and meticulously crafted Elven ears and say Nay! – it is not the teasers of said trailers which are the new shade of popular, oh no. It is in fact the teasers of teasers which are just the greatest thing ever!

9A long time ago, in a Hollywood now far, far away, the only hint of a plot to upcoming films was a poster. And it was usually hand-drawn. Imagine a let down of that magnitude in today’s viral campaign-mongering and hashtag-driven world of foreshadowing wonder. It would be madness, I tell you, madness!

Here is where one would cue the brass-heavy rousing film score.

While dramatic to an extent, there is in fact an aspect of truth to the idea that movie trailers can sell or destroy today’s major motion pictures. Along with the special-effects and the plot twists and the acting techniques which have adapted and grown to a higher standard as the years have gone by, the previews to our films have also significantly risen in quality. It’s very easy to compare the compelling appeal of movie trailers today to those of yesteryear, thanks heavily in part to the accessibility of YouTube and modern-day archive resources at a whim.

Case and point, here’s the official trailer from the original 1954 version of GODZILLA:

And then watch this one, from the 2014 film reboot:

And lastly, just for the overall nerdy fuck of it, check out this mashup of the old with the new. The style alone brings a new element to the old trailer which makes it appealing, even today.

So why do we love movie previews so damn much? Well, part of it has to do with the fact that we are able to spread them like wildfire. Back when films were a thing of luxury, in black and white glory and magnificent faux sets, the only group of people who saw the previews to the next big film were the ones in the theater. Jump-cut to today when movie trailers are premiered on the internet before they even make their debuts in theaters.

This past Thanksgiving two very large movie trailers made an appearance in theaters. How do I know? Well because they first landed on YouTube, before they appeared anywhere else. Was this effective? You be the judge: The film trailer for Jurassic World was posted on YouTube on November 25th. As of the time of the publishing of this article, it has been viewed 41,077,141 times. Yes, that’s forty-one million. And counting. On November 28th, the trailer for Star Wars: The Force Awakens was posted on YouTube. Today it has 42,193,847 views.

Have you seen these trailers? If not, check them out here:

And with all this being said and watched, how many times do we fall victim to the ever-present masterpiece trailer, only to be followed by the monumentally disappointing actual film? We’re looking at you, Superman Returns. It’s true, the foreplay does not always result in a fantastic finish.

Screen Shot 2014-12-04 at 11.57.13 PM
LEGO Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens Trailer – by kristo499 on YouTube

So what’s next? If movie trailer teaser teasers are the rage, what could possibly top them?

Easy. Movie trailer teaser teaser parodies for the win.

Which film trailers are your favorite? Which ones were better than the actual film?

Filed Under: ENTERTAINMENT, LIFESTYLE Tagged With: entertainment, Film, godzilla, jurassic world, lifestyle, movies, previews, Star Wars, teasers, trailers

The Generation of Change

by Alex David Jimenez

Roughly six years ago, when my now fiancé and I had just moved in together, the United States Presidential election of 2008 made history. Just under a year earlier, when we began dating, I recall him saying that he didn’t believe that Barack Obama stood a chance of winning the election. He told me, though he hoped otherwise, that he didn’t believe that we would see a black U.S. president in our lifetime.

Ten months later it came to pass.

In the same respect, another remark my partner made, amid our many deep conversations during candlelight dinners and Sunday mornings-in, was that he didn’t wholly believe that we would see an America with full recognition and legal marriage equality among gay and lesbian couples. I argued otherwise. At that point of exchange, one state legally allowed and acknowledged same-sex couple’s right to marry. DOMA was however still constitutional – the federal government could legally overlook many of those rights.

Same Sex Marriage 2014
via nbcnews.com

Today, six years later, nineteen states legally allow and acknowledge same-sex couple’s right to marry, and DOMA has been eradicated.

Same-sex marriage is easily one of the most controversial and bare-knuckled fights any group of any respective community has ever fought. In our lifetime, and stretching back into the history of American rights, the gay marriage campaign is quickly becoming as divisive and as landmark as those of the abolition of slavery and women’s rights. While many did concur with my partner in his vision of a limited America within the span of our lives, and while many still do believe as such, it can be said that the shift in favor of a tolerant America is certainly in occurrence – right before our very eyes.

Why?

Just over ten years ago there were no U.S. states that recognized marriage as anything but between a man and a woman. In the span of only one decade, that number has gone from zero to 19. In each state where gay marriage is still illegal, there are lawsuits pending to challenge the fundamental ethics of the bans enacted. In these past ten years, something has changed. Something came about in the broad scope of politics and the voice of the people. There are certainly many factors at play, and ultimately there is an avalanche of causes leading to the change in overall American attitude. Yet what I believe is simpler: one event largely began to create transformation. Just beyond the past decade, the millennials began to vote. The millennials began to join the workforce. And the millenials were far more unafraid to come out as openly gay and lesbian than those generations before them.

© The Washington Post
© The Washington Post

The statistics are simple and speak for themselves. Since about 2004 there has been a rapid shift in the public opinion across America. The popular opinion that gay marriage should be illegal in America has sharply dropped in the last ten years from 55% down to below 36%, and falling. Contrastingly, the opinion that it should be legal has risen from 41% in 2004 to over 58% today. And climbing.

Ages
© The Washington Post

Where is this opinion coming from? Well, according to statistics, the majority of the rise is attributed to America’s youth. The millennials contribute a staggering 81% in favor of the legality of gay marriage, as opposed to the 44% of those who are in favor over the age 65.

Do politics play a part? Certainly. As does religion of course. And yet regardless of conservatism and strict dogmatic ties, the youth is still bringing forth the turn of the tide. The generations over the years have been very clearly changing in their position and stance on the idea that all couples should be granted the fundamental and constitutional right to marry in this, a free country of tolerance and diversity.

via the Public Religion Research Institute
via the Public Religion Research Institute

Many have no faith in the millennial generation. They believe that integrity and responsibility is veritably non-existent in the course of their futures. Yet it cannot be argued that they are certainly the generation of change, be it for the better or the worse. In the capacity of this particular argument, for those who have gay family and gay friends; for those who have been too afraid to come out of the closet in the past and have done so recently because of the upswing of acceptance nationwide; for those people, it is certainly for the better.

I for one believe that my country, the United States, will legalize and recognize gay marriages in each of its 50 states in my lifetime.

Filed Under: LGBT, OPINION Tagged With: 2014, change, Equality, gay marriage, generation y, lgbt, manhattan digest, millennials, opinion, politics, same love, same sex marriage

NEST Labs Acquired by Google Inc.

by Alex David Jimenez

PALO ALTO, CA – On January 13th of this year, Google Inc. acquired the infant company NEST Labs for an astounding $3.2 billion dollars. The deal came only three months after NEST released its second product, the NEST Protect©. Google, a goliath of a company worth roughly $200 billion dollars, jumped at the opportunity to purchase the rapidly growing NEST before other giants like Facebook and Yahoo! had the chance.

Tony  Matt
NEST Labs© Founders Tony Fadell and Matt Rogers

NEST Labs was founded in 2010 by engineers Tony Fadell and Matt Rogers. Both Fadell and Rogers were employees of Apple Inc. at the time, boasting high-level positions at the company (Fadell has been called the driving force behind the original iPod). They took a large risk leaving Apple to start their own business – one which today has most decidedly been worth the effort. In 2011, NEST introduced their first product, the NEST Learning Thermostat©. The product was a success, offering a new and more modern application to heating and cooling, and utilizing WiFi technology to give users access to their home thermostat with their smart phones or tablets. With the success of the thermostat, Fadell and Rogers engineered their second product, released just this last October – the NEST Protect©. The Protect introduced a new-age look and functionality of the common smoke detector. Sales began to boom with the release of their second product, and Google Inc. saw the potential of the business.

NEST Learning Thermostat
NEST Learning Thermostat

The NEST Learning Thermostat and the NEST Protect both utilize WiFi capabilities, a component in modern technology which is becoming more and more prominent every day. The thermostat is revolutionary in that it essentially “learns” by way of remembering your particular habits and routines in the way you heat and cool your house. The temperature you are comfortable with becomes the norm, and the NEST will adjust it for you, saving you time and energy. At the same time, you can view and adjust the temperature of your home or office from you phone, even when you are not there. This comes in handy when you have a pet or children at home and want to be sure they are comfortable.

NEST Protect
NEST Protect

The NEST Protect is a brand new way of protecting yourself from fire and carbon monoxide. The product basis is the same, sensing smoke and chemicals and alerting you. However, it is far more advanced – in a sense, it’s smart. The Protect talks to you; If smoke is detected, it will first tell you that it senses smoke. If you’re simply burning toast, you can wave at the NEST Protect and it will hush itself- no more screaming alarm from simple cooking. The device is connected to WiFi and communicates with your smart-device. If there is smoke or carbon monoxide detected in your home when you’re not there, NEST will tell your phone. You can act immediately and contact emergency services. If the NEST Protect battery is low, your phone is alerted. No more chirping. Essentially, The Protect is revolutionary because it talks to you, and doesn’t rely solely on screeching loud obnoxious alarms.

Currently NEST Labs products are available only in the United States, though are expected to become a global product soon. The NEST Thermostat and NEST Protect are available through nest.com and found at sever retailers, including Amazon, Apple, Best Buy, Home Depot, and Lowe’s.

Filed Under: TECHNOLOGY, U.S. Tagged With: Apple, billion, Google, Nest, Nest Protect, Nest Thermostat, Palo Alto, smoke detector, wifi

Gadgets: The Good, The Bad and the Coming Soon

by Alex David Jimenez

banner

We’re well on our way into 2014, and with each milestone we pass, the future becomes more, well, nerdy. Nerdy, that is, in the sense of existing on a more technology and algorithm-based plane. The planet around us is growing smaller as more and more of our OS and HTML obsessed brains grow just a little bit larger. The tech world grows faster every day, and it shows. The late 2013 is no exception to the rule, having given us many bright new gadgets, as well as many dull ones.

In a nutshell, here are the better, best, and not-so-good #gadgets of 2013, (as well as the rising stars to watch in 2014) including smart phones, tablets, laptops, gaming systems, wearable tech, apps, mobile operating systems, and other miscellaneous gadgets.


Smart Phones 2013

Winner: Apple iPhone 5s

Runner-up: HTC One

Loser: Blackberry Z10

The one to watch in 2014: Motorola Project ARA

gadgets
Graphic courtesy Alex Hillsberg – financesonline.com

Tablets 2013

Winner: Apple iPad Air

Runner-up: Google Nexus 7

Loser: Microsoft Surface RT

The one to watch in 2014: Amazon Kindle Fire HDX

Graphic courtesy Alex Hillsberg - financesonline.com
Graphic courtesy Alex Hillsberg – financesonline.com

Laptops 2013

Winner: Apple MacBook Air 13″

Runner-up: Samsung ATIV Book 9 Plus

Loser: Google Chromebook Pixel

The one to watch in 2014: Asus Taichi

Graphic courtesy Alex Hillsberg - financesonline.com
Graphic courtesy Alex Hillsberg – financesonline.com

Gaming Systems 2013

Winner: Sony Playstation 4

Runner-up: Microsoft XBox One

Loser: Ouya

The one to watch in 2014: Oculus Rift

Graphic courtesy Alex Hillsberg – financesonline.com

Wearable Tech 2013

Winner: Pebble Smartwatch

Runner-up: Misfit Shine

Loser: Samsung Galaxy Gear

The one to watch in 2014: Google Glass

Graphic courtesy Alex Hillsberg – financesonline.com

Mobile Apps 2013

Winner: Waze

Runner-up: Blackberry Messenger

Loser: Twitter #Music

The one to watch in 2014: Tinder

Graphic courtesy Alex Hillsberg – financesonline.com

Mobile OS 2013

Winner: Android 4.4 KitKat

Runner-up: Apple iOS 7

Loser: Blackberry BB10

The one to watch in 2014: UBUNTU

Graphic courtesy Alex Hillsberg – financesonline.com

Other Gadgets of 2013

Winner: Google Chromecast

Runner-up: NEST Project

Loser: Hapilabs Hapifork

The one to watch in 2014: Leap Motion

Graphic courtesy Alex Hillsberg – financesonline.com

All graphics are courtesy Finances Online and designed by Ruby Media Corporation

 

 

Filed Under: OPINION, TECHNOLOGY Tagged With: 2013, 2014, Apple, asus, best, Blackberry, chrome book, chrome cast, gadgets, Google, HTC, ios, Leap Motion, microspft, Nest, pebble, playstation, Samsung, tech, technology, Twitter, waze, worst, xbox

Christmas Shopping: Final Weekend. Best Options.

by Alex David Jimenez

Christmas Shopping

And here we are: the final weekend of Christmas shopping. The last push to get everything on your never-ending list of perfect gifts for all those people you love, and those you are sort of obligated to love. In these final stressful hours of panic and claustrophobia galore, one thing always seems to elude us as consumers: bargain hunting. It’s always a game of looking for the best deals right after Thanksgiving, with Black Friday being the culmination of it all. Yet as December 25th approaches, we find ourselves more and more concerned with getting anything at all, rather than getting something for the best price. And while yes, the smiles and laughter and joy of everyone’s satisfied faces on Christmas morning are worth it, what sort of looming raincloud awaits your wallet once the festivities are over?

To help you out, here are seven simple substitutes to some of the hottest tech gifts of the season. Instead of buying that five-hundred dollar game console, why not opt for something half the price, and worth equal amounts of fun? Check out the alternatives, and don’t go broke during these last few shopping-frenzied days.


1.

HOT ITEM

Bose Soundlink Bluetooth Mobile Speaker II — $314.95

Bose Soundlink

It’s no secret that BOSE is the leader in sound technology and quality. The Bluetooth speaker is quickly emerging as the new big thing in speaker production. Not only do you not need to plug in your music device, but now the common dock for sound devices isn’t even necessary. The music is wirelessly transmitted via bluetooth from your device to the speaker, and we don’t have to tell you that the sound quality is pristine.

While BOSE is the leader in sound, it can be a little pricey. This speaker comes in at $314.95.

Bose.com

 

THE ALTERNATIVE

Sonos Play 1 — $199.00

sonos-play

The Sonos Play 1 is a newer item to the market, offering the same technology of wireless music connectivity for a lower price. While the device may not have the namesake, the quality is there. The Sonos Play delivers music without wires or docking, and can offer multiple speakers (with purchase) playing from the same music device all at once.

The Sonos Play 1 is available starting at $199.00.

sonos.com


2.

HOT ITEM

Apple TV — $99.00

Apple TV

So, you have iTunes, and tons of movies, but can only watch then on your iPhone or iPad. Same with your streaming Netflix account, Hulu Plus, HBO Go, etc. So what do you do? You get Apple TV. It’s a device that takes these entertainment streams and puts them onto your television screen. Sound useful? It is. The device can be used to project photos, games, apps, YouTube, and so on. Only possible setback – if you don’t have an apple device, it probably won’t prove very useful.

Apple TV is available for $99.00.

apple.com 

 

THE ALTERNATIVE

Google Chromecast — $35.00

Chromecast $35

Google has recently come out with the answer to streaming devices such as Apple TV – the Google Chromecast. It’s a small USB-looking device which does, well, the same thing. The Chromecast receives your streaming entertainment wirelessly and connects to your TV’s HDMI hookup, displaying your media on the big screen. Netflix, Hulu, YouTube, Google Chrome, HBO Go, and many other mediums are included, and at a much lower price.

The Google Chromecast is available for $35.00.

google.com


3.

HOT ITEM

Apple iPad Air (32 GB with WiFi and LTE) — $729.00

apple_ipad_air 32g wifi LTE $729.00

Not much need be said about this one; Apple usually is in the forefront of the hottest tech items for the Christmas season. This year is no exception. The new iPad air is the lightest full-range tablet, with retina-display graphics and a pristine processor. The sleek look of the iPad is one of its biggest selling points, coupled with its reputation overall. The price, however, holds true to Apple standards, cutting a large dent into any purchaser’s finances.

The iPad Air is available with multiple options from $499.00 to $929.00.

apple.com

 

THE ALTERNATIVE

Google Nexus 7 (32 GB with WiFi and LTE)  — $349.00

Nexus-7

 

The Nexus 7 has been rated one of the best tablets for 2013 by techradar.com. While it might not be the holy grail of tablets, it’s a very smart and sleek alternative. The device features countless apps and the display is sharper than most tablets on the market. For business or pleasure, if the iPad is too large an investment, the Nexus 7 would be the smart way to go.

The Google Nexus 7 is available with multiple options from $229.00 to $349.00.

google.com


4.

HOT ITEM

Samsung Galaxy Gear Smartwatch — $299.99

samsung-galaxy-gear

 

Smartwatches are emerging, and fast. It’s not just a watch – it’s connected to your phone. The most popular smartwatch on the market right now – The Samsung Galaxy Gear. This watch, with a digital touch display: displays your emails, displays your texts, locks/unlocks your phone, makes hands-free calls, uses voice commands, and more. The one big obvious negative – the watch only syncs with Samsung phones.

The Samsung Galaxy Gear Smartwatch is available for $299.99.

samsung.com

 

THE ALTERNATIVE

Pebble Smartwatch  — $150.00

pebble smartwatch

 

The Pebble Smartwatch is a fully functional wireless smartwatch that syncs with Android and Apple smartphones. With a less colorful display, it’s certainly an alternative to other smartwatches, but features a wide range of useful tasks, including text display, email display, music selection, alarms, and fitness apps. The Pebble does what you need for half the price.

The Pebble Smartwatch is available for $150.00.

getpebble.com


5.

HOT ITEM

Apple iPhone 5s (32 GB) — $299.99

iphone_5s

 

It’s the hottest phone on the market, and the only smart-phone featuring fingerprint technology. The sleek iPhone 5s sells itself, boasting retina display, fingerprint recognition, a super-fast processor, and two HD cameras.

The iPhone 5s is available with multiple options from $199.00 to $399.00.

apple.com

 

THE ALTERNATIVE

Apple iPhone 5c (32 GB)  — $199.00

iphone5c

 

Same Phone. Same company. Four very different elements: The shell is plastic, as opposed to its aluminum counterpart on the 5s –  A slightly slower processor – Only the rear camera is HD – No fingerprint technology. With all of these in mind, the difference of about 100 dollars certainly makes up for what is missing considering the phone is still a highly functioning iPhone.

The iPhone 5c is available with multiple options from $99.00 to $199.00.

apple.com


6.

HOT ITEM

Xbox One  — $500.00+

XBOX1

 

 

This one will probably take the cake this year as the hottest selling item. The Xbox One sells itself. It supports the most popular games with the most pristine graphics, features streaming of movies and television shows, and features skype built in, to chat with fellow gamers or family & friends whenever you want. And, you can do all those things simultaneously. Given its popularity, the price of the One is rising as the Christmas deadline approaches, growing from a base price of $500. Retailers are selling it currently from as low as $500 to as high as $700 plus.

The Xbox One is available for at or around $500.00.

xbox.com

 

THE ALTERNATIVE

Wii U — $299.00

Wii_u

 

Trust us, they’ll love this one just as much. Yes it’s been on shelves for over a year, but the Wii U is still going strong, offering users an immersive gaming experience which puts the elements of the game both on the big screen and in their hands. The Wii U by all means stands up to the competition, and is nicely priced at 200 dollars less.

The Wii U is available for $299.00.

nintendo.com


7.

HOT ITEM

Amazon Kindle Fire HDX (32 GB with WiFi and 4G)  — $369.00

Kindle-Fire-HDX WiFi 4G 32g $369

 

Tablets and readers: can’t go wrong with those this Christmas. And the Kindle Fire HDX surely measures up. It features sharp color display, several apps and display options, WiFi, and 4G capability (addition monthly plan). This reader is more than a book reader, offering email, games, social media apps, and documents. If it’s the reading you’re serious about however, you might want to check out the alternative.

The Kindle Fire HDX is available with multiple options from $229.00 to $424.00.

amazon.com

 

THE ALTERNATIVE

Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (WiFi and 3G) — $189.00

kindle paperwhite

Plain and simple, it’s a reader. There are no other functions like apps or video, just books. What makes the Paperwhite different is the display. The screen is lit to give readers full and clear resolution in any light – even in the dark. It’s all you’ll need, holding up to 1,100 books.

The Kindle Paperwhite is available with multiple options from $119.00 to $209.00

amazon.com

 

Filed Under: ENTERTAINMENT, TECHNOLOGY Tagged With: amazon, Apple, bose, chopping, Christmas, gadgets, Google, pebble, Samsung, sonos, tech, technology, Wii, xbox

The Singularity – Why You Should Start Paying Attention

by Alex David Jimenez

Screen Shot 2013-12-09 at 4.22.16 PM

It is a concept which easily escapes the minds and comprehension of most given the scope of its significance. The singularity is a theoretical and mathematically predicted event set to occur in the near future. What sort of event? Well to put it bluntly, an event which will alter our entire planet and the way we live our lives. The singularity is near. Whether or not you believe it will occur, on some level, it has already started.

The Singularity:

“A future period during which the pace of technological change will be so rapid, its impact so deep, that human life will be irreversibly transformed. Although neither utopian nor dystopian, this epoch will transform the concepts that we rely on to give meaning to our lives, from our business models to the cycle of human life, including death itself.” – Ray Kurzweil

In simpler terms, the singularity is a exponentially based hypothetical which says that the growth of technology, pertaining to the size and capabilities of individual computer processing units, is rising at such a rapid pace that it will surpass human intelligence within this century. Ray Kurzweil, an American author and futurist, is the foremost authority on the singularity, citing many strong evidential theories as to why this is indeed a real event. According to Kurzweil, given the current pace of technology growth (the current pace of technology growth rises more each single hour than it did in its first 90 years of existence combined – see chart), the singularity, which is a “zero point” where the intelligence of the technological world will surpass that of humanity, shall occur in or around the year 2045. Wrap your head around that. Most of you reading this will be alive in the year 2045.

The chart below gives a view of the rising of technological growth. The rise of growth is not a straight line, but indeed curves upward, and will eventually become a straight line. That is the singularity.

Moores law

 

Need a little more breakdown and explanation? Watch This Video.

So what does this mean for us? Well, according to futurists, it means a complete change in the way we live our lives. Completely. In the coming years, great advances in science are expected, including graphic and virtual reality advances so pristine that the actual world and the virtual world will be indistinguishable. Kurzweil describes a future society where most of humanity lives in the virtual world most of the time, using it to live out fantasies and escape their lives. Nanorobotics is also expected to emerge, which is a science with endless possibilities. Imagine robots small enough to be injected into your bloodstream to prevent heart attacks, or prevent infections. Imagine robots small enough to eradicate cancer, or kill a cold virus before you even feel symptoms, or gather and burn fat within your body while you sit at your desk. As hard as it is to imagine, it’s being developed right now.

One can easily see how such advancements in technology would be astoundingly good for us as a species. But there are of course negative aspects to the singularity. To begin with, fully self-aware artificial intelligence. It doesn’t take a Terminator film to know that intelligent machines which are potentially billions of times smarter than us is not something that rests so easily in the back of your mind. The year 2045 is when the development of technology is expected to be “taken over” by technology itself, and is expected to thereafter grow at a pace faster than we as humans can even comprehend. In the interest of looking at technology as a series of individual and collaborative machines, we will have in essence created a new species and will have built them with the ability to advance themselves at their own free will.

Kurzweil wrote a fascinating book called “The Singularity is Near” in 2005 in which he actively predicts significant events and milestones in the growth of technology in the coming decades. While the events are certainly not exact (they are predictions based on exponential growth; Kurzweil cannot predict the future), they are in many cases feasible, and as a whole, incredibly overwhelming:

2010

  • Supercomputers will have the same raw computing power as human brains, though the software to emulate human thinking on those computers does not yet exist. (IBM Sequoia)
  • Computers will start to disappear as distinct physical objects, meaning many will have nontraditional shapes or will be embedded in clothing and everyday objects.
  • Full-immersion audio-visual virtual reality will exist.

2010s

  • The decade in which “Bridge Two”, the revolution in Genetics/Biotechnology, is to reach its peak. During the 2010s, humans will have the means of changing their genes; not just “designer babies” will be feasible, but designer baby boomers through the rejuvenation of all of one’s body’s tissues and organs by transforming one’s skin cells into youthful versions of every other cell type. People will be able to “reprogram” their own biochemistry away from disease and aging, radically extending life expectancy.
  • Computers become smaller and increasingly integrated into everyday life.
  • More and more computer devices will be used as miniature web servers, and more will have their resources pooled for computation.
  • High-quality broadband Internet access will become available almost everywhere.
  • Eyeglasses that beam images onto the users’ retinas to produce virtual reality will be developed. They will also come with speakers or headphone attachments that will complete the experience with sounds. These eyeglasses will become a new medium for advertising as advertising will be wirelessly transmitted to them as one walks by various business establishments. This was fictionalized in Dennō Coil.
  • The VR glasses will also have built-in computers featuring “virtual assistant” programs that can help the user with various daily tasks.
  • Virtual assistants would be capable of multiple functions. One useful function would be real-time language translation in which words spoken in a foreign language would be translated into text that would appear as subtitles to a user wearing the glasses.
  • Cell phones will be built into clothing and will be able to project sounds directly into the ears of their users.
  • Advertisements will utilize a new technology whereby two ultrasonic beams can be targeted to intersect at a specific point, delivering a localized sound message that only a single person can hear. This was fictionalized in the films Minority Report and Back to the Future Part II.

2015

  • By now, it is likely that “clean a house” will be within the capabilities of a household robot.

2018

  • 1013 bits (=10 TB) of computer memory—roughly the equivalent of the memory space in a single human brain—will cost $1000.

2020s

  • The decade in which “Bridge Three”, the revolution in Nanotechnology, is to begin: allowing humans to vastly overcome the inherent limitations of biology, as no matter how much humanity fine-tunes their biology, they will never be as capable otherwise. This decade also marks the revolution in Robotics (Strong AI), as an AI is expected to pass the Turing test by the last year of the decade (2029), meaning it can pass for a human being (though the first A.I. is likely to be the equivalent of an average, educated human). What follows then will be an era of consolidation in which non-biological intelligence will undergo exponential growth (Runaway AI), eventually leading to the extraordinary expansion contemplated by the Singularity, in which human intelligence is multiplied by billions by the mid-2040s.
  • Early in this decade, humanity will have the requisite hardware to emulate human intelligence within a $1000 personal computer, followed shortly by effective software models of human intelligence toward the middle of the decade: this will be enabled through the continuing exponential growth of brain-scanning technology, which is doubling in bandwidth, temporal and spatial resolution every year, and will be greatly amplified with nanotechnology, allowing us to have a detailed understanding of all the regions of the human brain and to aid in developing human-level machine intelligence by the end of this decade.
  • Computers less than 100 nm in size will be possible.
  • As one of their first practical applications, nanomachines are used for medical purposes.
  • Highly advanced medical nanobots will perform detailed brainscans on live patients.
  • Accurate computer simulations of the entire human brain will exist due to these hyper-accurate brain scans, and the workings of the brain will be understood.
  • Nanobots capable of entering the bloodstream to “feed” cells and extract waste will exist (though not necessarily be in wide use) by the end of this decade. They will make the normal mode of human food consumption obsolete.
  • By the late 2020s, nanotech-based manufacturing will be in widespread use, radically altering the economy as all sorts of products can suddenly be produced for a fraction of their traditional-manufacture costs. The true cost of any product is now the amount it takes to download the design schematics.
  • By the later part of this decade, virtual reality will be so high-quality that it will be indistinguishable from real reality.
  • The threat posed by genetically engineered pathogens permanently dissipates by the end of this decade as medical nanobots—infinitely more durable, intelligent and capable than any microorganism—become sufficiently advanced.
  • The many variations of “Human Body 2.0” (as Kurzweil calls it) are incrementally accumulated into this and the following decade, with each organ and body system having its own course of refinement and development. It ultimately consists of a nano-technological system of nourishment and circulation, obsoleting many internal organs, brain-extension and an improved skeleton.

2023

  • 1016 calculations per second—roughly the equivalent of one human brain—will cost $1,000.

2025

  • The most likely year for the debut of advanced nanotechnology.
  • Some military UAVs and land vehicles will be 100% computer-controlled.

2030s

  • Mind uploading becomes successful and perfected by the end of this decade as humans become software-based: living out on the Web, projecting bodies whenever they want or need (whether in virtual or real reality), and living indefinitely so long as they maintain their “mind file”. Eventually, all human beings (including those with transbiological 2.0 or 3.0 bodies) will migrate to this postbiological state except for those who wish to remain unenhanced: the transbiological era giving way to the postbiological era.
  • Nanomachines could be directly inserted into the brain and could interact with brain cells to totally control incoming and outgoing signals. As a result, truly full-immersion virtual reality could be generated without the need for any external equipment. Afferent nerve pathways could be blocked, totally canceling out the “real” world and leaving the user with only the desired virtual experience.
  • Brain nanobots could also elicit emotional responses from users.
  • Using brain nanobots, recorded or real-time brain transmissions of a person’s daily life known as “experience beamers” will be available for other people to remotely experience. This is very similar to how the characters in Being John Malkovich were able to enter the mind of Malkovich and see the world through his eyes.
  • Recreational uses aside, nanomachines in people’s brains will allow them to greatly expand their cognitive, memory and sensory capabilities, to directly interface with computers, and to “telepathically” communicate with other, similarly augmented humans via wireless networks.
  • The same nanotechnology should also allow people to alter the neural connections within their brains, changing the underlying basis for the person’s intelligence, memories and personality.
  • The many variations of “Human Body 3.0” are gradually implemented during this and the following decade; It mostly likely lacks a fixed, corporeal form and can alter its shape and external appearance at will via foglet-like nanotechnology.

2040s

  • People spend most of their time in full-immersion virtual reality (Kurzweil has cited The Matrix as a good example of what the advanced virtual worlds will be like, without the dystopian twist).
  • Foglets are in use.
  • Nonbiological intelligence will be billions of times more capable than biological intelligence.

2045: The Singularity

  • $1000 buys a computer a billion times more intelligent than every human combined. This means that average and even low-end computers are vastly smarter than even highly intelligent, unenhanced humans.
  • The technological singularity occurs as artificial intelligences surpass human beings as the smartest and most capable life forms on the Earth. Technological development is taken over by the machines, who can think, act and communicate so quickly that normal humans cannot even comprehend what is going on. The machines enter into a “runaway reaction” of self-improvement cycles, with each new generation of A.I.s appearing faster and faster. From this point onwards, technological advancement is explosive, under the control of the machines, and thus cannot be accurately predicted (hence the term “Singularity”).
  • The Singularity is an extremely disruptive, world-altering event that forever changes the course of human history. The extermination of humanity by violent machines is unlikely (though not impossible) because sharp distinctions between man and machine will no longer exist thanks to the existence of cybernetically enhanced humans and uploaded humans.

Post-2045: “Waking up” the Universe

  • The physical bottom limit to how small computer transistors (or other equivalent, albeit more effective components, such as memristors integrated into Crossbar latches) can be shrunk is reached. From this moment onwards, computers can only be made more powerful if they are made larger in size.
  • Because of this, A.I.s convert more and more of the Earth’s matter into engineered, computational substrate capable of supporting more A.I.s. until the whole Earth is one, gigantic computer, except for a few nature reserves set aside on the planetary surface for those humans who decided to remain in their natural state. “MOSH’s” (Mostly Original Substrate Human) who choose to remain purely organic would still possess virtual assistants that will act as their transcendent servants, living in the blurred real world (“foglet-reality”) and being provided with environments and everything they could possibly need as they live out the rest of their normal lives unless they enhance themselves.
  • At this point, the only possible way to increase the intelligence of the machines any farther is to begin converting all of the matter and energy in the universe into similar massive computers. A.I.s radiate outward from Earth, first into the Solar System and then out into interstellar space, then galaxies in all directions, utilizing starships that are Von Neumann probes with nanobot crews, breaking down whole planets, stars, moons, and meteoroids and reassembling them into computers. This, in effect, “wakes up” the universe as all the inanimate “dumb” matter (rocks, dust, gases, etc.) is converted into structured matter capable of supporting life (albeit synthetic life).
  • Kurzweil predicts that machines might have the ability to make planet-sized computers by 2099, which underscores how enormously technology will advance after the Singularity.
  • The process of “waking up” the universe could be completed well before the end of the 22nd century, provided humans are not limited by the speed of light.
  • With the entire universe made into a giant, highly efficient supercomputer, AI and human hybrids (so integrated that, in truth it is a new category of “life”) would have both supreme intelligence and physical control over the universe. Humanity will still not possess infinite levels of any attributes, as the accelerating change of evolution never reaches an infinite measure (though it moves rapidly in that direction), becoming, as Kurzweil writes, “moving inexorably toward this monotheistic conception of God, though never reaching this ideal”; even with theories such as the holographic universe. The final chapter however notes that, if possible, the ability to create and colonize other universes (and if there is a way to do this, humanity’s vast intelligence is likely to harness it, as with surpassing/bypassing the speed of light) could allow the intelligence of the human/machine civilization to extend indefinitely, akin to a mathematical singularity. If not, then saturating humanity’s own universe will remain their ultimate fate.                

– via Wikipedia.org

As members of the current race of humanity, it should be impossible for the occurrence of the singularity or anything like it not to affect and completely change the lives of every living person. As Kurzweil outlines in his writings, a post-singularity world would potentially be life on a completely different planet.

There is much debate as to whether or not this epoch of human life will even occur, or if so, to what extent. But it can be said that the evidence is certainly all around us. Each year cell phones and computers get smaller and thinner. Processing units grow in capacity and shrink in size. Medical breakthroughs are made every day. The theory that technology is certainly growing at a consistently faster pace is anything but a theory. Over 1.4 billion citizens of the planet earth have smartphones. Medicine utilizes more machinery as replacement body parts every year. The fact is, no matter which direction we move as a society, the singularity, or an event like it, is near. What is the best way to prepare? Stay informed, and know what to expect.

Filed Under: SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY Tagged With: AI, machines, manhattan digest, science, singularity, technology, the future

Cyber Monday Sales Top 2 Billion

by Alex David Jimenez

Cyber Monday 2013_photo via iphonehacks.com

And so, as the bruised and battered shoppers from across the fifty holiday-engorged states made their way back to their homes and questionable leftovers, a new beast lay in waiting behind their inauspicious computer monitors and tablets. The Monday after the turkey and gravy fest, and after the menacing crowds and monsters of Black Friday, is the latest great opportunity to present consumers with yet more ridiculous sales and deals – all now available conveniently within the safety of their own homes. It was Cyber Monday. Shopping online was madness. At nightfall the internet sat in the corner of the shower and wept. One phrase surely graced more computer monitors than on any other given day throughout the year: This Site is Temporarily Down.

Cyber Monday is a fairly recent cultural phenomenon. It began in 2005. A press release was conducted by the company Shop.org, publicly stating that the Monday following Thanksgiving was quickly becoming one of the busiest online shopping days of the year. This was based on the numbers of the previous year: The monday following Thanksgiving had been in the top 12 busiest online shopping days of 2004. Shop.org decided to attempt throwing the e-commerce community on the Black Friday bandwagon. It worked. That Cyber Monday saw record numbers: numbers which have increased annually since.

This year broke a new record, pushing online sales over the 2 billion dollar mark in a single day. $2.29 billion dollars to be exact.

Cyber Monday Profits 

2006 – $610,000,000

2007 – $730,000,000

2008 – $846,000,000

2009 – $887,000,000

2010 – $1,028,000,000

2011 – $1,251,000,000

2012 – $1,465,000,000

2013 – $2,290,000,000

 

In contrast, sales for the 2013 Black Friday weekend went down for the first time in seven years. Falling 2.9% from last year’s sales, this year saw 57.4 billion dollars in profits for the weekend. That is a significant pullback considering the numbers had been on the rise every year since 2006. Last year saw 59.1 billion dollars in sales.

The most evident thought-process to be reached by these numbers is right in front of us: everything is moving into the digital age. Cyber Monday was not only successful – it was phenomenal. It wasn’t just the computers either. A whopping 18.3% of online sales were found and processed using tablets and smart phones. Cyber Monday is becoming easier to do, so naturally the numbers are rising. Black Friday is a time-honored and kind of scary tradition, sure, but why chance being flattened to the ground by high-tops and pumps in front of a Walmart when you can sit in your pajamas and work those index-finger muscles?

Cyber Monday CrashesIt’s not perfect yet. There were, as there always are, some technical problems while dealing with the massive number of visitors on e-commerce sites. Several sites did crash due to an overload of volume, including Motorola, Toys’R’Us, Urban Outfitters, Brookstone, Nordstrom, and Barnes & Noble. While most of these companies were back online within a few minutes, they potentially lost hundreds of thousands of dollars in their absence.

If there is a moral to the story that was Black Cyber Weekend, it must be that, well, we’re all a bunch of greedy and impatient barbarians, and the machines will soon be taking over.

 

Sources: Wikipedia.org, Business Insider, Bloomberg News

 

 

Filed Under: BUSINESS, OPINION, TECHNOLOGY Tagged With: america, Black Friday, crashes, Cyber Monday, Internet, opinion, shopping, technology, Thanksgiving

Black Friday: What it says about Humanity today

by Alex David Jimenez

Black Friday 2013
Black Friday 2013

When looked at from a business perspective, Black Friday is anything but negative. The fourth friday of November, specifically the day after the American Holiday of Thanksgiving, is easily and consistently the busiest and most profitable shopping day of the year. Where many retailers might be “in the red” (pertaining to sales, in-the-red refers to a business not turning a profit, but instead losing money), Black Friday serves as a jump-start to the season where these businesses can move their sales “into the black” (turning a profit) – and then some. It’s true – the deals and the steals are an attractive and magnetic aspect of bulb-flashing and glitzy persuasion, if not coercion. Yet at some point in the rise of the blackness of that single day we seem to have lost sight of what it’s all for. Sure, you can cry recession: We’re all trying to save as much money as we can nowadays, and Black Friday serves as the opportunity to do just that while expertly amassing the perfect collection of gifts for our loved ones. And yet, is it all worth it? The camping overnight, clamoring, clawing and bickering? The arguing, belligerence, and warmongering mobbing? Does the gift of giving hold its purpose when we lose ourselves to achieve it?

The Origin

The origin of Black Friday is not completely known. It has been referenced on several different occasions throughout recent history. The earliest known coining of the term occurred in the late nineteenth century during the Financial Crisis of 1869. During the Grant Presidency, the event was named, quite aptly, “Black Friday” – imputing the somber darkness of the term with the desolation of such a crisis. The term was not used specifically as a description for the post-Thanksgiving shopping frenzy until the year 1961, in which it can be argued that the current use of the phrase originated in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The police departments in Philadelphia began to call the day after Thanksgiving “Black Friday” in regards to the terrifically obnoxious volume of overcrowding, traffic jams, chaos and crimes which did occur on that day every year. The Friday known as black held its title, and a gradual spread of the adjective quickly erupted. Soon it was a household date. Soon the department stores began to use it to their advantage.

It did not take long for major retailers to realize the full potential of what Black Friday could mean for business. There had been sales and deals on that friday long before the color graced its presence, but now there was power behind those two words. Instead of simply printing “50% off” on billboards and newspapers, retailers started to put “BLACK FRIDAY SALE” as their headline. People started paying attention. The words held a sort of ominous and dark-side implication. This drew in the crowds. Human nature took over. This wasn’t generosity-friday; this was Black Friday. This was no longer bargain shopping – this was war.

The Numbers

Black Friday is profitable. That much is certain. The numbers jump for consumers, small businesses, and big businesses alike. Yes, it is good for the economy. What is an economy, however, distributed among a commune of tyrants? Some may say it’s inhumane. Some may say that’s America. Both assumptions are quite correct.

Jumping back seven years, the profits from the Black Friday weekend have nearly doubled. The numbers are, in a word, astounding. Two-thousand six saw roughly 140 million shoppers grace the malls and department stores on Black Friday, each consumer spending an average of $360.00 dollars. Last year’s 2012 Black Friday saw about 247 million shoppers, each spending a much improved average of $423.00 dollars. Below are the total gross profits in billions, yes billions, each Black Friday weekend since 2006:

Black Friday weekend profits

2006 – $34.4 billion

2007 – $34.6 billion

2008 (U.S. Recession) – $41 billion

2009 – $41.2 billion

2010 – $45 billion

2011 – $52.5 billion

2012 – $59.1 billion

Clearly, the number rises significantly each year. It can be called astonishing that in the midst of a global recession period during 2008, the country as a whole still traveled in droves to spend money on the biggest friday of the year. Some may call this positive and patriotic; others might call it irresponsible and greedy.

The numbers for 2013’s Black Friday have not yet been accurately reviewed, but given the trend of the chart, it can be assumed that this year topped over 60 Billion dollars in sales.

Update: In fact, for 2013 the sales went down. Total in-store sales topped-off at 57.4 billion dollars, while cyber monday sales rose significantly.

The Violence

Where there is Black Friday, there is violence. That has become the norm; that has come to be expected. Each year there seem to be more reports of growing violence and tragic accidents as a result of the mobbing crowds of the holiday weekend. Where there is an expectation of joy and giving, there is bloodshed.

Unruly shoppers charge into stores as soon as they are opened. They trample. People are injured. Stores present gimmicks, like dropping coupons from the ceiling once their doors open. And in moments like those, people seem to lose a piece of the humanity they claim to be shopping for. They charge at the idea of a discount without a second glance at what or who stands in their way.

In 2008, a Wal-Mart in Valley Stream, New York opened its doors for business sharply at 5:00am. The crowd of over 2,000 people charged the doors like a stampede, killing a 34 year-old employee in the process. Two others were needlessly shot to death over a product altercation in California that same friday.

courtesy abcnewsIn 2010 there were multiple stabbings, arrests, and another trampling of a man in Buffalo, New York.

In 2011 there was a violent pepper spray incident pertaining to an altercation over the new Xbox 360. A man in California was shot.

In 2012 several people were shot, some over a parking space.

And this year was no exception to the curse of the friday known as black. On Thanksgiving evening, as it has become the beginning of the shopping frenzy recently, an alleged shoplifter dragged a police officer from his car while trying to escape in Illinois. The assailant was shot. In Las Vegas, a thief took a TV from a man who had just purchased it. While trying to retrieve the television, the victim was shot in the leg. There were multiple scuffles at stores across the country (especially Walmarts) involving several stabbings, fights and small crowd riots.

In Minnesota a man named Serge Vorobyov, who wanted to give cheer during Black Friday, dropped 1,000 one-dollar bills down to a crowd on the Rotunda of the Mall of America. It quite literally was snowing money. The crowd, in a disorderly fashion of course, went crazy for the money. Vorobyov was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct.

And in Philadelphia, where the entire Black Friday culture is thought to have originated, two women were caught on cell phone video fighting violently after an argument escalated. It seemed to be like any other Black Friday scuffle – one of many emerging amateur videos catching the instigators in the act – until one woman suddenly pulled out and began to use a taser gun. A security guard quickly broke up the fight – a potentially deadly fight which took place mere feet from a baby in a stroller.

The Humanity

So where do we stand? Where does society go from here? It can be said that the overall goal and purpose of Black Friday is to create a win-win circumstance for both the consumer and the nation’s economic well-being. And yet each year, as profits grow, so does the bloodshed. Are those who are injured or even killed simply “casualties of war” in the skirmishes that we create? No. That’s absurd. This isn’t a war. No bargain, whether it be a 20% or 100% discount, is worth the price of blood on our hands.

It is important to note that with each year, overcrowding and needless arguments are not the only problem on Black Friday. Robbery is an escalating trend. It’s not enough for some people to have the advantage of mega-deals and bargains for the items they seek. They want everything for nothing. Black Friday, with its growing reputation for irresponsibility and lack of morality, is becoming an open-door of opportunity to thieves and criminals. And rest assured – those things they do steal are not going under anybody’s tree as gifts.

It’s very simple. The only thing we still lack on Black Friday is patience. Nothing is worth violence or hatred toward another human. Nothing that comes in a box is worth letting yourself become a monster for a single day. You may not get that last big-screen TV for your husband, but you will be there on Christmas Day. And that still must be the most important gift we can give. And the good news – it’s completely free.

Filed Under: BUSINESS, OPINION Tagged With: black, Black Friday, crime, Culture, Friday, manhattan digest, opinion, sale, Thanksgiving, violence

The Hashtag: The Most Powerful Tool on the Internet

by Alex David Jimenez

The Hashtag: A word or phrase preceded by a hash mark (#), used within a message to identify a keyword or topic of interest and facilitate a search for it.

It seems, within today’s modern world, the idea of a society which is not completely interconnected and collectively influential is unfathomable and even somewhat frightening. What was the world without internet? What was a day without cell phones or computers? How did people communicate, or meet, or get directions, or stay entertained?

We have adapted to our modern world with ease, familiarizing ourselves with new technologies and social impacts every day. Certain trends have faded into the world of retro-vintage ancient history, while others have stood the test of time. Since the recent dawn of social media, the world has become significantly smaller. And when Twitter introduced the hashtag in 2007, a new trend was born. It was arguably the most powerful tool on the internet, and perhaps still is.

Screen Shot 2013-11-25 at 10.03.00 AMChris Messina, co-founder of the company BarCamp, was officially the first Twitter user to introduce and to actively “use” the hashtag as a means for guiding conversations among groups of people. The concept was initially frowned upon, both by general consumer consensus and by Twitter founders Ev Williams and Biz Stone themselves. The founders were uncertain of the potential for the emblem’s impact. They didn’t wholly believe it would catch on. “That stuff is never going to catch on,” they said. “We’re going to build algorithms, we’re going to figure it out, and you won’t have to use hashtags at all. We got it covered.” As it turns out, the hashtag proved itself a worthy tool when friend of Messina Nate Ritter  used the hashtag to tweet about the spread of 2007 San Diego forest fires. The trend caught on. Rather than simply existing as a social-circle engine, the hashtag became a source of live news coverage. It proved itself.

From there the hashtag only grew, becoming a worldwide phenomenon. The tool was used to collectively have a conversation about what was important to us, or what was popular in the world. The hashtag was certainly not under-appreciated once it became commonplace. Advertisers began to see the massive potential of the tool. Using the hashtag to follow what was popular among consumers was only the beginning. Soon companies began to pay for their hashtags to become viral, hoping to promote their products or services on a grand scale. It worked. The hashtag became a common visual piece on everyone’s texts. Our tweets were retweeted more. Our followers grew. Other companies, such as Instagram and Facebook began to use the hashtag, utilizing to its full potential the powerful keystroke. Television shows present hashtags during airtime, hoping to grab a larger audience. Some websites, like hashtracking.com, even offer services with which you can track the most influential tags at any given time.

What exists today is a sort of new universal language, so-to-speak. Using a hashtag can instantaneously connect you with people on the other side of the world. People can quite literally become famous using a single hashtag. This article itself could go viral just because of the hashtags used in its publication on twitter. It is quite arguably the most powerful tool in mainstream technology today. Governments certainly have begun to use the tool to their advantage as well, be it for the benefit of society, or for other sinister intentions. It’s important to pay attention now, with the strength behind this emblem, to the way we use it. As technology advances further, and the world becomes even smaller, everything we say, and everything we tag, belongs to the entire civilized world.

hashtag.jpg#mindblown

#hashtag

#whatdoyouhashtag

 #AMAs

source: forbes.com

Filed Under: TECHNOLOGY Tagged With: #, hashtag, influence, Internet, one direction, power, technology, thehashtag, Twitter

Cell Phone Battery Cases: Which ones are worth it?

by Alex David Jimenez

REVIEW – According to recent statistics, nearly seventy-five percent of the world population uses a cell phone. The market for cellular technology has been exploding since the early two-thousands, and had seen an even more dramatic increase since the dawn of the smart-phone. Long have the days passed since we, as a modern society, have used our cell phones simply for making phone calls. They can tell us about the current weather. They can take high-definition photos and video, as well as post them to all of your favorite social networking sites. They can harbor popular and high-graphic games. They can even give you directions and tell you which of your friends are nearby. It’s no secret that the power of smart-phones is quickly increasing, as so too is the demand for products and accessories capable of sustaining the mounting amounts of energy we use each day for that power.

While cell phones today have a much longer battery life than they did years ago, the market for cellular battery improvement is still growing. We use our phones for everything, and are constantly finding ourselves taking our phone chargers everywhere we go. Can’t find and outlet to plug it in? Looks like you’re screwed.

Consumers today are finding the phone battery-life issue more commonplace, and many are utilizing an ever-growing solution: Cell Phone Battery Cases. The idea: Use the case to protect your phone from damage, and charge your phone when necessary with the battery built right into the case itself. Genius! It seems the most sensible solution, whereas the need for wires on the go will become obsolete, and your stress level might fall at least a bit knowing your phone’s battery should survive the day.

So which products are the ones consumers should be looking for? The market for cell phone case/chargers is growing fast, and there are several options floating around the inter-webs. Here, we’ve compiled six of the most popular producers, specifying the specs and the varying differences between the products.

1.

BOOSTCASE

Cell Phone Battery Cases: Boostcase

BoostCase.com
$79.95 – $99.95
iPhone 4(s) / iPhone 5(s)
Battery: From 1500mAh to 2200mAh Capacity
Weight: 8.2oz

Aside from its sleek look, the Boostcase iPhone Hybrid Battery Charging Case is also quite functional, capable of extending your phone’s battery life for several hours. The case is somewhat bulky, according to consumers, but does redeem itself in having a separate click and snap design, allowing you to interchange the charging system as desired.

The case comes in a “single-shot” or “double-shot” version, the latter providing better battery life. Though a bit pricey, the Boostcase is a contender in the phone charging industry.

Pros:

Up to 150% Additional Battery Power

Dual Charging (Phone and Case)

Stylish Look

 

Cons:

Long Charging Time

Bulky Feel

Some Functionality Errors

                               Overall Rating: Screen Shot 2013-11-18 at 2.26.31 PM

 

2.

ETÓN Mobius Black
Mobius Black

Etón Webstore
$59.99
iPhone 4(s)
Battery: 1800mAh Capacity
Weight: 3.4oz

The Mobius Black is somewhat revolutionary in the world of cell phone chargers, in that it is not only a mobile charging station, but is one which harnesses the power of the sun to do so. Along with the case’s rechargeable battery pack, the Mobius features a high-efficency monocrystal solar panel. The device is moderately priced – good for consumers not looking to spend too much.

Though solar power seems massively convenient, some consumers do complain about the phone’s limited capabilities when charging the phone – i.e. the phone should not be charged while the solar panel is attached. The Mobius Black os only available for the iPhone 4(s).

Pros:

Solar Powered

Removable Battery

USB Syncing Capability

 

Cons:

Limited Battery Capacity

Mediocre Case Durability

Charging Limitations (solar)

                               Overall Rating:  Screen Shot 2013-11-18 at 2.26.50 PM

 

3.

POWERSKIN
PowerSkin

Power-Skin.com
$49.99 – $79.99
iPhone 4(s) / iPhone 5(s) / Samsung Galaxy SIII / Samsung Galaxy S4 / Samsung Galaxy Express / Blackberry Z10 / HTC One X/X+/XL / Windows Phone 8X
Battery: From 1500mAh to 2000mAh Capacity
Weight: 1.92 to 3.53 oz

The PowerSkin Cell Charging case has taken the battery-powered phone case to several different mediums on the market. PowerSkin has more cases for more phones than any other producer, and has developed some quality products to boot. The look is sleek and modern, and the case itself is one of the most durable on the market.

Consumers have stated in some cases that the phone takes a long time to fully charge and that the battery power is not competitive enough for its competition.

Pros:

Multiple Product Options

Sleek Design

Durable Case

 

Cons:

Only up to 70% extra Battery Charge

Bulky Feel

Long Charging Time

                               Overall Rating: Screen Shot 2013-11-18 at 2.26.31 PM

 

4.

THIRD RAIL
Third Rail

thirdrailmobility.com
$89.99
iPhone 4(s)
Battery: From 1250mAh Capacity
Weight: Case: .85 oz – Battery: 1.4 oz

Perhaps the most positive aspect of the Third Rail’s TRIO Charger for the iPhone (Positive, but not for everyone) is that its battery is completely detachable, leaving the phone thin and lightweight when not in use. The battery pack, or multiple, stackable battery packs can be easily clicked onto the phone when it needs juice. The charging wire is universal, therefore useful in charging many other devices if needed.

The downfall: just not a very attractive product. Most negatives pertained to the case’s design and durability, as well as its lack of efficient power.

Pros:

Detachable Battery

Universal Battery Charger

Light-weight

 

Cons:

Low Battery Capacity

Poor Design

Poor Durability

                               Overall Rating:  Screen Shot 2013-11-18 at 2.26.50 PM

 

5.

MOPHIE
mophie

mophie.com
$79.95 – $129.95
iPhone 4(s) / iPhone 5(s) / Galaxy SIII / Galaxy S4
Battery: From 1500mAh to 2300 mAh Capacity
Weight: 2.44 to 4.59 oz

The Mophie Cell Phone Charging case is easily the most popular on the market right now, and for good reason. According to average users, the case is durable, sleek, and gets the job done. There are currently 3 versions of the case for the iPhones, each worth a different capacity for charging power, and 2 designs for the Samsung Galaxy phones. The Mophie boasts 120% additional power and an easy on/off switch.

Most complaints about the Mophie include the lack of accessory access, including that for headphones and USB cables.

Pros:

Sleek Design

Up to 120% Additional Battery Power

Durable Case

 

Cons:

No Syncing Access (Must remove Case)

Headphone Jack less accessible

Product gets Hot when Charging

                               Overall Rating:  Screen Shot 2013-11-18 at 2.25.44 PM

 

6.

PHONE SUIT
Phonesuit

phonesuit.com
$79.95 – $99.95
iPhone 4(s) / iPhone 5(s)
Battery: 2100mAh Capacity
Weight: 2.78 oz

The PhoneSuit Elite Battery Case for the iPhone is certainly one of the most appealing charging cases on the market. The case is durable, and the size is preferred over many other cases given its slim look. The charging jack gives the option for charging or syncing your phone, and the fit offers access to most headphone jacks, regardless of shape or design.

Overall, the product is often edged out by companies like Mophie because of the product quality. The PhoneSuit works well, and looks great, but doesn’t seem to last as long as other products before pieces start breaking down and breaking off.

Pros:

Sleek Design

Up to 16 additional Hours talk-time

Quick Charging Technology

 

Cons:

Mediocre Durability

Too Expensive

Short Product Life

                               Overall Rating:  Screen Shot 2013-11-18 at 2.25.44 PM

 

Filed Under: TECHNOLOGY Tagged With: battery, battery life, best, better, Blackberry, Blackberry Z10, Boostcase, Case, Cell Phone, cell phone battery, Charger, Etón, iphone, iPhone 5s, iPhone5, Mobius Black, Mophie, PhoneSuit, Powerskin, review, Samsung, Samsung Galaxy, Samsung Galaxy S4, Samsung Galaxy SIII, tech, technology, Third Rail, top

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