Review: Apple Advertisements

I have always been a fan of Apple products. Growing up I had an array of iPods starting with the video and ending with the second generation touch and also featured just about everything in between. To this day I still use Apple products religiously as my iPhone has replaced my iPod, as it has for many people all over the world. However, the most interesting part of this to me is the loyalty I feel towards Apple. Other than providing me with great and consistent products, the company itself has never done anything to help me. I have yet to receive my good costumer discount or thank you letter in the mail for my years of using iDevices, so why is it that I am so drawn to the brand? Sure, loyalty plays a part here, but there has to be something else driving me to want the next iPhone rather than switching to a cheaper option.


While I, along with many others, may not be conscience of it; maybe advertising has been Apple's largest contributor. Apple's advertising today still markets what the company was all about when it was started: simplicity. iDevices are products that any one can use, there is no need for any extensive knowledge with computers or programming. Just about all of their ads take on the same idea as well with simplicity. They normally picture either a product or the logo with a little blurb to compliment it.

A huge part of these advertisements is taking something that is fairly basic to the world of technology and making it unique by placing the Apple logo on it. There are a bunch of different computer companies, cell phone brands, and mp3 players yet Apple seems to stand out from the rest of the crowd. This is because of the company's ability to make all of their products just slightly differentiated. The only real difference between an iMac and a PC is the fact that an iMac runs on Apple's software while a PC runs on Windows. It is because of this differentiation that Apple is able to stand out when compared to other computer companies.

I have always liked Apple's advertisements. They show what each of their products are capable of and the freedom each user has with them. I have never seen the brand release something that how you cannot live without their newest model. Each ad sticks to the script; here is our product, here is what you can do with it, and here is who we are. I honestly respect these ads and don't mind watching them either, which says a lot right there. Unless Apple's direction changes anytime soon, I don't see myself even bothering with another phone or computer producer.

A Review of WBAL-TV

If there is anything that is more present than ever in journalism today, it is bias. The word has always had negative connotation, but in reality, it is something that is truly impossible to avoid. There are many ways media companies can minimize their own bias, but at certain times, it will show through.

With that being said, I have grown up watching WBAL-TV news. News broadcasting is something that I personally tend to stay away from because of bias, WBAL however, is different. While the parent company, NBC, has been noted as a network that shows a left wing bias; I think that WBAL tends to hover much more in the middle. The network has always been good at finding multiple sources and covering different sides to each story in all of the broadcasts that I have seen. The station has been named a top three newscast in the country by the National Headliners Association. They have also been the recipients of the Edward R. Murrow award, George Polk award, and a Gavel award from the American Bar association for excellence in news reporting and journalism.

The awards do not tell the whole story for this news network. The cast has always been consistent and comforting. Within the Baltimore region people like, Stan Stovall, Gerry Sandusky, Deborah Wiener, and Jayne Miller are house hold names. I can personally remember watching Stan Stovall as a kid and he is still there for the nightly news. This kind of consistency is something that news broadcasting simply does not have any more, so it is always nice to see.

In terms of entertainment, WBAL shows and discusses different content than regular news stations. A part of this may be because this is a local station, but none the less captures my attention more frequently than constant banter of Bill O'Reilly on Fox News. WBAL delivers a nice balance of your normal "need to know" news but also delivers "feel-good" stories throughout their broadcasts.

Like I said earlier, the absence of bias is impossible. There is bias all over this blog post as WBAL is a news broadcast that I have personally grown up with. In both my experience and my opinion however, this is a broadcast that has always represented issues fairly. As far as I am concerned; live, local, and latebreaking is the way to go.

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Tweet Tweet - Why Twitter Is The Best Social Media Site

The premise of social networking is to allow people to share their thoughts with one an other. No other social network site utilizes the speed and immediacy of the internet quite like Twitter does. It allows users to check on the status of friends, artists, and celebreties with ease. The home page of one's Twitter account is constantly updating so new content is available with every passing minute. Twitter also currently ranks number nine on Alexa's top 500 global sites.

A huge reason why Twitter continues to grow internationaly is it's incredible moble interface. Twitter is a social media site that was made for sharing things as they happen, and the app shows that. If something out of the ordinary happens during your day, simply send out a tweet and maybe a few others can connect with you on this. While the desktop site is also great, all of the features are available within the mobile app which is normally one of the main problems with mobile interfaces.

If a user is ever getting bored of what is posted by who they are following, the discover feed is there to provide more entertainment and information. Many younger users stay updated not only in respect to pop culture, but also general news thanks to this discover feed. This feed combines trending topics along with interests related to your profile and keywords used by you and who you follow.

My personal Twitter experience has been nothing but great. I use this site way more than any others and check it a couple of times each day. Not only do I get to see what my friends are thinking or doing, but I also get to follow funny vine accounts and what not. The profile customization perfectly fits the simplicity of the website. I feel as though there are just too many features on other popular social network sites such as Facebook. Twitter is so great because of this simplicity. Every tweet is 140 characters or under and tweets with pictures are becoming more and more popular.

This is a site that offers the average person, avid social network user or not, with the ability to easily access information and entertainment. With that being said, the simplistic layout of the site can bother some users. But for me, it is the epitome of what a social network site should be. Concise, sometimes important, information.

Movie Review: Time Lapse

Trouble ensues as quickly as prosperity arises for a group of three friends, who find a camera that photographs one day into the future. Time Lapse is a sci-fi thriller, directed and written by Bradley King, that exposes the jealousy and greed that stem from knowing the future. This is one film that I could not take my eyes off of. Despite the idea of seeing into the future being a tad unrealistic, the situation this group of friends is forced to be in feels incredibly real. After viewing this film, it is understandable why it was nominated for numerous awards and the winner of five separate festival awards.

The film begins with three roommates; Callie, Jasper, and Finn, who notice they have not seen their neighbor in quite some time. In a search for him they not only discover he has died, but the trio of friends also find a camera positioned directly into their living room window. The camera snaps a picture at the same time every day that shows a photograph from exactly 24 hours in the future. How would you react to such an intriguing discovery? How could you use the future to benefit you and those around you? These are all topics Time Lapse deals with while also focusing on the strain and pressure such power creates.

With most time-travel movies, the logic of the story itself is normally tough to keep up with. However, this film explains just about everything that happens and the reason it happened a certain way. This film also has obvious connections to The Twilight Zone which almost every sci-fi fan can appreciate. Because of the film's refreshing perspective of classic time traveling traits numerous guesses can be made on what will happen next. These guesses however, are often struck down with the story line's quick turns toward the unexpected ending.  

I would recommend this movie to any one who is a fan of sci-fi films or for those just scrolling through Netflix with nothing interesting in there queue. King's approach to show how power and greed can destroy relationships both mentally and physically is an interesting one to say the least. The ending of the thriller also left me with a sore brain the next couple of days. Even if you are not a fan of the genre, go be a nice person and support underground film. 

Review: Frank Miller's Batman: The Dark Knight Returns

I have read plenty of comics throughout the course of my adolescent years. However, none of them have been as ground-breaking as Frank Miller's Batman: The Dark Knight Returns. This four part series, first published in 1986, not only brought Batman back into the limelight of popular culture but also redefined the hero himself. This redefinition of the Caped Crusader took him away from the cheesy jokes and camp style of 1960's television to the Christian Bale portrayed Dark Knight whom we have all grown to love.

The story is set in the near, dark future as 55 year old Bruce Wayne decides to return from retirement to save Gotham City despite heavy opposition from the Gotham City Police Department. Rather than being smart and methodical, this aged Bruce Wayne trades in nifty tricks with his utility belt for pure jaded rage. Instead of avoiding death and it's consequences, the Dark Knight chooses to stop fearing it. This is seen many times throughout the graphic novel as Batman gets out of life-threatening situations because "it is not the right time". This take on the hero was completely revolutionary at the time as Miller is also credited with helping start the dark age of comics. This shift in comic book culture focuses on the adult-oriented story lines of popular heroes.

According to Complex Magazine, The Dark Knight Returns ranks number four on their list of 25 Comics You Need To Read Before You Die. Shortly after the release of the series, Frank Miller said one of his main goals was to "give Batman his balls back". Interestingly enough, this series is respondible for many of the storylines featured in the popular Batman movies, including the upcoming Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice. Miller later released a sequel titled Batman: The Dark Knight Stikes Again between 2001-2002. However, the second miniseries did not recieve such high critical praise like the original series did. There is also a third part in the works that is expected to debut in Fall of 2015.

While I am currently reading the Watchmen series by Alan Moore, which many critics regard as the best comic series ever written, The Dark Knight Returns is among the best works I have ever read. It adds a perspective on the world's greatest dectective that has yet to be replicated with an ending that will leave you shocked for days. I consider this a must read for all comic and superhero fans alike.

Also, if this review was not convincing enough for you to pick up The Dark Knight Returns... this picture should certainly do the trick.