Hannah Cersell

Couldn’t agree more with this! I remember in middle-school/high-school iPhone models had distinct differences between them: design, software, camera megapixels. This was around iPhone 3S era – iPhone 6. Now, I literally couldn’t tell you the difference between my current iPhone 10S and my previous iPhone 8 besides losing a home button and gaining portrait mode. I don’t feel as inclined anymore to purchase the latest iPhone – just because I feel the differences in camera quality, software, and design are so minimal in comparison to my current phone. It’s also important to note that Apple products generally last a while! So with that, I’m perfectly content with how my iPhone operates – and probably can hold onto it for a while.

Before, when the iPhone originally came out, I used to upgrade every year. Now there’s a 2-3 year gap between my iPhone’s because I feel the same way in some aspects. To upgrade my phone, it has to have a new design, a better camera, and a big screen since I do a lot of design work. I usually stick with gold, but this year’s blue is pretty attractive. The new phone will include a leaner design, and I’m likely to upgrade this year. I’m noticing many more settings such as ads and location services that users need to utilize in the more recent models.

It’s funny because I remember being so impressed every year when the newest iPhone and even the iPods were so different from year to year that you felt like you had to get the new one. Apple definitely is not as innovative as it once was. – to me, it seems like the phones are the exact same every single year and your post confirms that! I have also had the 10 for just about 2 years so far and I don’t see a reason to upgrade at this point – everything is working fine and there doesn’t seem to be much of a difference between what I have and the new ones. The new IOS upgrade is cool, but it doesn’t require a new phone. Plus – the customizable widget home screen is something Android users have had for years.

The best thing Apple has going for them is brand loyalty. I don’t know if I will ever switch just because of the convenience of iMessage versus texting alone. But who knows – it’s about time some other tech company breaks into the market!

I still have a 7 – and honestly I desperately need an upgrade but every time I go to to do it I am told to just wait a little for the latest release! But you’re right – every one I know who has a newer one than me has a bigger screen and better camera, and that’s about it. It’s really surprising that they haven’t stepped up their game in the area of AI. I feel like Siri was a bit disruptive at the time of release but they haven’t developed much since. I definitely agree with Katherine that Apple has brand loyalty going for them. I can’t imagine ever switching because I am so used to connecting all of my Apple devices.

Great post! I personally have an android and agree with what you said on your article on how the phone has very little changes through its years. I have been thinking to switch to Apple but I still need to be convinced that the company is making innovative products. I wonder what will happen if the new version of the IPhone flops. Will Apple remodel its entire phone?

It seems to me that Apple is just releasing new models because it is expected. Apple was founded on the concept of constant innovation. When Steve Jobs left the first time the company struggled to maintain that momentum. Since his passing, I think Apple is having even more difficulty with it. This is the age old problem of startups, even more so for innovative ones. The more innovative the leader of a start up is, the harder it will be to replace him. Many start ups are unable to grow as much as Apple has. The innovative mind that starts it gets board with the day to day of a company, then leaves for a new project. Very few start ups survive after the founder leaves. The new leadership is just lacking the drive, motivation, and innovative mind. Steve Jobs was able to leave the day to day to the business people, while he focused on the innovation. With him gone, it seems Apple is having a hard time breaking into new territory.

I would like to think the lack of iPhone innovation is because they are spending more resources in some other advanced piece of technology that will be as revolutionary as the iPhone, but I kind of doubt it.

Thanks for sharing this great post Hannah! I need to watch The Social Dilemma but honestly the fears of our private data being so accessible on a regular basis scares me. After doing the Microsoft/TikTok case I definitely learned a lot more of the government’s financial plan with social platforms like TikTok/Facebook etc. and getting involved but I haven’t seen enough about protecting us.

Companies indeed need to do a better job of protecting consumer info. I fear most for consumers of pharmaceutical companies where information such as medication history would be exposed. If a company becomes hacked, then they become a liability to consumer’s browser info or worse. I would suggest making a secure profile per consumer with their consent to better market products/ideas based on the type of platform or company they’ve subscribed to. This type of data would not only benefit companies but consumers as well, so they can see how their data is used.

Lesley, this was such a great (and a little terrifying) article lol! I saw the trailer to the Netflix movie The Social Dilemma, and did not have the mental capacity to try to watch! Just knowing that my data is just floating in the internet somewhere some how is terrifying. Just wondering if there is anything on the consumers side to keep as much of their date and information not accessible?

This is a great post Hannah. I find it really interesting when companies make their apps free while users are able to freely view its content. There has to be something that companies are getting from us, and it’s our information. Although TikTok is on the heat seat about users’ privacy, many apps are doing the same thing, except TikTok is based in China. I wonder what is going to happen in the future on how data rights is going to be and how it is going to affect “free” apps. I do need to watch that documentary on Netflix as well since many people are talking about it.

Great article Hannah! I definitely plan to watch The Social Dilemma after your raving review of it in class. I wholeheartedly agree with you when you say that data is a human right being exploited without our knowledge. I’m glad conversations about this are being had more frequently. Based on discussions in class and how some major companies are trying to be perceived well in regards to data privacy, I can only hope that more companies hop on board and legislation is passed to define and set the rules and regulations. That quote you included, “If you’re not paying for the product, then you are the product,” really impacted me. Thank you for sharing.

I recently finished a very good book by Shoshana Zuboff about this, called The age of surveillance. In it, Shoshana explains how we got to a point where our data is the raw material that feeds the Information Revolution. At like the Industrial Revolution, we need Government regulations to protect the average citizen, or more social concise companies. With both of those things not happening soon, I think the most important thing is user education. Explaining, to people the power of their data and working with them to protect it, or even monetize it. I would be ok with Google giving my information away if they paid me for it. After all they are selling it to someone, and I am the one that created it, shouldn’t I get part of that sale? If I made a poster and sold it on Amazon, I would expect them to pay me for it. Why should my data be any different?

Straight out of iRobot!!! I love the idea of self driving cars but don’t think they will be useful until we wipe all the manual ones away, which may never happen. They need to be able to communicate with each other to prevent traffic mishaps, and if they are intermixed with human powered cars, i think that really complicates the equation. Perhaps if we got it up to a 60/40 split that would be doable. Great read Hannah!!!

Wow this was really interesting to read! I definitely think the pros of this may outweigh the cons. Self driving trucks will be a lot safer on highways but at the same time it is really going to hurt truck driver’s employment. This will take a couple of years to be put into place but I think you make a lot of great points. I read a great article on this and it stated that the trucks might not be completely self driving which means people will still need to operate them to a certain extent. I think this is going to be great for the trucking industry and also for the vehicle communities as a whole. It will save lives but also keep truckers employed.

https://www.wired.com/story/what-does-teslas-truck-mean-for-truckers/

Thanks for this read Hannah! I think self-driving trucks could make the delivery of goods so much more efficient, especially, when you consider how many truck drivers spend their time on the road at night. Self driving trucks would eliminate the drivers on the road late at night who could potentially crash or fall asleep, as you describe. If most of the night time highway drivers were replaced with self driving trucks, than that could prevent most of the accidents that occur at night on our nation’s freeways. However, it does get more complicated when you factor in all the human drivers that are out during the day. Do we think robots are equipped to deal with human imperfection? Only time will tell!

Great post Hannah! I agree with several others who’ve commented – I think self-driving trucks would be a useful and efficient means of transporting goods and making deliveries, but I do worry about the intermixing of automatic vehicles and human vehicles. If overnight driving could be focused on as Kathleen mentioned, I think that would be ideal since there would be much less traffic on the road. I also agree that it would be worrisome for truck drivers employment, but maybe there’s still room for a human attendant to make sure the truck AI is functioning correctly. Really interesting read!

Now this is something I did not expect! Having AI in trucks to me seems like a great idea. It cancels out all of the cons of humans driving trucks. The only issue is if the rest of society will accept AI, even though its proven to be more safe than humans driving. For an industry that is growing rapidly, AI might be a great solution for trucking companies. I am excited to see what will happen in the future. Nice job!

After doing similar research for my Tesla post I so appreciate seeing this post, Hannah! Right when I was done, I saw some really interesting articles about their new self-driving trucks, and the methods behind them, and wanted to learn more.. On one hand they could be very beneficial but you pointed out some really important disadvantages. I already get nervous about trucks on the expressways, the thought of self-driving ones makes me even more nervous.. Just like the technology behind any of the Tesla vehicles, how can they react as well as humans? Thanks for sharing!

Nice post! While self-driving trucks will certainly save corporations a lot of money, I worry about the cost they’ll have on blue collar communities, especially in rural areas. In addition to the net loss of trucking jobs, which you noted, what happens to the “rest stop” communities on the side of highways whose primary source of income is truckers?