Technophilia by LASA Ezine

TECHNOpHILIA Technophiliacâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Ultimate Guide

Innovation in Gaming Pg. 8

From Idea to Shelf Pg. 12

Nanotechnology on the Rise Pg. 18

SUMMER 2015 Photo Courtesy of: PlayStation Europe http://bit.ly/1PZwLVe

Letter from the editor

about the authors

best and worst selling consoles of all time

The innovation in Gaming

12 the best selling games of all time

apple vs android

from idea to shelf

nanotechnology on the rise

Letter From The Editors We, the Editors of Technophila, would like to thank you for considering and reading our magazine. We spent a long and difficult six months, planning, designing, and building our magazine. This magazine would not be the creation it is now if not for the hard work of our writers, Devang Deepak, Jacob Roth, and Andrew Thomas. We thank each of them for the time, effort, and commitment these boys put into this magazine. For a first product, we are proud of our creation, and the progress we’ve made as writers and designers. Our journey to finishing our magazine was a rough one all the way through. We took a considerablly long time to decide on our magazine’s theme and had trouble following the instructions for beginning our magazine. This process was made even more difficult with several computer crashes, missed due dates, hardcore procrastination, and several canceled classes, one which included a bat finding itself trapped inside our Ezine classroom. We stumbled all the way to the finish line of this magazine. Even with these setbacks, our group prevaled over our technological and personal short comings to complete the first and last instalment of “Technophilia” for you, the reader to enjoy.

Devang Deepak Andrew Thomas Jacob Roth

4 TECHNOPHILIA

Summer 2015

MEET THE CONTRIBUTORS

Jacob Roth Jacob likes to play sports, racing, and first person shooter video games. Jacob is a die hard NE Patriots fan and he enjoys playing football and basketball. His favorite football player is Julian Edelman, a Wide Receiver for the Patriots; his favorite basketball player is James Harden on the Rockets. He also plays tennis offcampus for PE credit. Jacob is a member of BBYO, a jewish youth group, and loves meeting new people there. Jacobâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s two favorite subjects at school are Algebra II with Bonus Content with Dr. Paige and Piano I with Mr. Lewis.

Devang Deepak Devang was born in Dallas but raised in Austin. He is an avid reader who has read many different genres of books. He loves to research different types of technologies. Devang also loves to play different types of video games both PC and console. He enjoys playing soccer, tennis and cricket among other sports. He wants to become an anesthesiologist when he grows up as he loves the medical field. Devang often travels to India to meet his relatives and visit symbolic sites. He is excited for the upcoming release of project ARA and the new Nexus 5.

Andrew Thomas Andrew Thomas is a tech loving gamer who is intrigued with the community and culture of gaming. Andrew spends his free time on his Wii U (yes, heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s one of those guys), surfing youtube, formulating and filming home videos, and, when given the opportunity, paintballing. Andrew spent his middle school years at Fulmore, and is currently finishing his freshman year at the Liberal Arts and Science Academy. Andrew wants to serve in the U.S. Army when he grows up, and hopefully jump into the movie industry. Summer 2015

TECHNOPHILIA

Whoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the Best-Selling?

Which Million Selling Gaming Console Has Sold the Most?

PS2 Playstation 2

P OPEN

PlayStation

PlayStation Sony 1994-2006 102.49 million sold

1 2

Wii

DS Nintendo 2004-2007 154.01 million sold

3 Nintendo GAME BOY

Game Boy Nintendo 1989-2003 118.69 million sold

SONY

POWER

PlayStation 2 Sony 2000 -2012 <155 million sold

TECHNOPHILIA

Wii

Wii Nintendo 2006-2014 101.44 million sold

6 XBOX 360

XBOX 360 Microsoft 2006-2014 84 million sold

By: Andrew Thomas

SUMMER

2015

Whoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the Worst-Selling?

Which Million Selling Gaming Console Has Sold the Least?

4 LYNX

TELSTAR ATARI

LYNX ATARI 1989-1994 > 1 million sold

TELSTAR Coleco 1976-1978 > 1 million sold

3 DISC

PHILIPS

SUMMER

2015

Philips CD-i Philips _ 1991-1992 > 1 million sold

ATARI 5200 ATARI 1982-1984 1 million sold

TECHNOPHILIA

INNOVATION IN GAMING

IS CHANGE WHAT GAMERS WANT? By: Andrew Thomas

A common gamer sits at her computer, typing away furiously. This gamer,

having played through the latest installment of “Call of Duty” by Activision, is upset that the game was very much the same as its predecessor and is posting to a gaming blog how the industry needs to become more innovative. Halfway across the country, a gaming critic stands in front of a camera. The cue is given, and the camera starts rolling. The critic yells at the camera, complaining that “Call of Duty” installments are too repetitive, too similar to the previous installments. On online forums, thousands of people criticize the new “Call of Duty”. They say what the others say, that it’s the same as the last, that the game play is repetitive, cliché, and stenches of previous installments. Outcries from the gaming community like this erupt all over the internet. Videos, podcasts, blogs, forums, all delivering the same message: These games are not innovative! Yet, at a nearby Gamestop, several people walk in and purchase the new ‘Call of Duty”. At a Target just down the road, a massive display has been erected for the game, and copy after copy is quickly bought up. Activision watches as their profits skyrocket. The cries from the gaming community is heard, but disregarded. “How can these people mean what they say if we continuously turn out huge amounts of profit with these games,” they ask. Photo by: faseextra via Flikr

Call of Duty: Ghosts was the tenth installment of Activisions infamous Call of Duty franchise. It has sold over 19 million copies since its launch in November of 2013. 8

TECHNOPHILIA

SUMMER 2015

“Call of Duty” is just one of many cases where games considered to lack “innovation” by the gaming community sell millions of copies, turning up huge profits. Examples range from “Call of Duty”, “Assassins Creed”, “Pokemon”, “Angry Birds”, “Madden”, and so on. Titles like these have created a paradox: If the community complains so much for more innovation, why are the games labeled “non-innovative” continuing to dominate the time and wallets of countless gamers every year? “Innovation in gaming means a new product or experience as well as an application of elements that together form something new and different. Sometimes, innovation comes through via story-telling, at other times its through new game play elements, or even a new way of interfacing with a virtual world,” Peer Schneider , IGN’s cofounder, said. Innovation in gaming is the changing, refining, or introducing of a game play mechanic, atmosphere, or story. Innovation can be implemented in big strides, like introducing a ground breaking new way of playing games (Nintendo’s “Wii” for example), or subtly, like refining game play mechanics or introducing a new setting to your games’ story. In the past, innovation played a huge role in raising gaming to its current heights, and now serves as (according to the majority of the gaming community) the reason you should buy certain games: because they’re innovative. This is, supposedly, what draws gamers to certain titles. Many of “It’s a mix of innovative and unique experiences and the titles games that attract not through anything truly new we now consider in game design, but in how they create a coherent “nonworld through their characters, technology, and innovative” storytelling.” Peer Schneider started of as “innovative” games. “Assassins Creed’s” parkour movements and unique plot drew many gamers to the title. “Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare’s” jump to the modern era enticed gamers everywhere to grab a copy, getting called “a jarring, intense, and gripping take on war in the new millennia.” - IGN “Angry Bird’s” clever use of touchscreen technology kept people at their smart phones for hours, spawning 11 sequels, three spin-offs, and became the No.1 paid app since its release. These games became popular because they were ahead of their time, they were innovative, and kept players coming back with addictive game play and promise of enjoyment at the same level of the previous title, while

Photo by: PlayStation Europe via Flikr

Screenshot COD:MW3 gameplay. The game, although well recieved over all, was bashed by most hardcore fans and is widely considered one of the poorer games in the franchise. SUMMER 2015

TECHNOPHILIA

also going above and beyond. Seeing the success, the companies behind titles began producing sequels, “Assassins Creed 2” and “Modern Warfare 2” to name a few. “In the console business, most highly successful games are sequels. They are proven successes, thus their makers pump many resources into development, promotion, and advertising. It’s a cycle that reinforces itself. One game builds on the success of another,” Schneider aforementioned. While well received at first, the formula eventually began to lose steam. By the time “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3” (MW3) hit shelves in 2011, for example, four years and four sequels after the original Modern Warfare, gamers began to get tired of the, in many eyes, all too similar formula. Yet, MW3 sold extremely well, selling around 9 million copies in the first month and, according to Activision, became the best selling “Call of Duty” to date. “Then there are the mega-franchises, the “Call of Duties”, the “Assassin’s Creeds”, the “Skylanders”, the “FIFAs”, the “Maddens”, the “Pokemon” of this world. These games sometimes benefit from unique game play and quality experiences, but also from the enormous marketing muscle behind them,” Schneider said. One of the things leading to MW3’s success was the massive amounts of advertisements surrounding the game prior to its release. MW3 is both the most profitable and most anticipated “Call of Duty” title. The hype spawned around two main points: the success and overall fondness of its previous titles, and the game’s huge advertising campaign. Photo by: Kana Natsuno Via MW3 commercials were unavoidable leading up to launch. TV, magazines, “Youtube”, the ads were inescapable. Even big Hollywood actors Joanna Hill and Sam Worthington got in on the action, starring in Activision’s ‘The Vet and the N00b’ commercial. The advertising machine behind MW3 shows similarity to other titles Super Smash Bros. (Left) is one of Nintendo’s most who’s reached success on sucessful franchises. With four titles and the newest its level. The line of EA: instalments, amiibo (Right), the Smash series has kept Sports titles are repeated countless gamers glued to their consoles. examples of strong advertising, mainly focusing on the star athletes appearing in their titles and the cooperative/competitive local play. While titles such as these do offer some innovation, their large marketing deserves a lot of credit. “Then there are the viral hits. Flappy Bird was not a good game. It wasn’t a new installment in a series. It was made big by a community of YouTubers who showed how much fun failing at a mediocre and unfair game could be,” Schneider elucidated. Commercial businesses can often find success through social media. “Youtube”, a social media site allowing people to create and share videos, has been populated with “gaming channels”. Gaming channels are collections of videos based around the subject and playing of video games. The trend has exploded over “Youtube”, accounting for 13 of the top 100 most subscribed channels, with number one, “Pewdiepie”, at 35,999,500 subscribers. The immense load of gaming videos thrown into the public eye via Youtube puts many games on peoples radar, and generates nostalgia. “Some games succeed by alignment with popular trends or franchise. Think games based on Star Wars when Star Wars is the hottest movie of the year,” Schneider explained. SUMMER 2015 10 TECHNOPHILIA

Nostalgia is decisive for amping up launch sales, but what’s also important is maintaining continuous sales and a stable player base during the games life. “Call of Duty” has a steady The Imagine Games Network (w) is a video game media organizationsales rate throughout that has become one of the main names in gaming communities. the year and holds a steady year round player count (excluding PC and Wii/Wii U. Those systems don’t get the same support as Xbox and Playstation). It seems the fans of the games are extremely dedicated when staying for the long haul. Ernesto Gomez, for example, is a junior the Liberal Arts and Science Academy (LASA) and a huge fan of the extremely successful “Super Smash Bros.” franchise. Ernesto has been playing for as long as he can remember, and everyday at lunch he busts out his Wii or Wii U and plays with four of his friends. Even after doing the same almost everyday for years on end, Ernesto says he still loves it, and can’t remember ever getting bored. “No matter how good one person is there is always a chance that the outcome will come out differently than expected...the excitement and the joy that you get after beating a strong opponent is what keeps me coming back,” Ernesto explained. Ernesto isn’t alone. There are gamers everywhere who find the time to sit down a burn hours playing the games they love. Matthew Barnes, student; developer; and gamer, powers up his computer to play a few Photo by: imgkid.com

“a game does not have to be the next Minecraft or heartbreaking to be innovative, but needs only to explore a new idea that improves people’s ability to create better, more likable games.” Matthew Barnes rounds of Team Fortress 2 (TF2), Values exceedingly successful online first person shooter. Matthew stated that he’s been playing TF2 since it’s became free to play in 2011, and still enjoys each game session. “Out of those games I mostly play TF2 with my friends,...I play it for all the crazy moments and the teamwork that is required to win a good game. Many times it is not for seeing just how good and skilled I am at the game, but to laugh with people that I may or may not know,” Matthew Barnes said. Matthew and Ernesto play the games they do because they find the games fun, and thoroughly enjoy the experience they receive from the games. Ultimately, that is what most games are made for, and what the majority of gamers look for; an enjoyable experience. “Once you get past the cynicism of vocal gamers — and no doubt some critics — you’ll find that unique experiences can often come in familiar guises...Gamers demand perfection from mainstream studios. So some failings of new (and innovative) titles like Destiny overshadow the courage and drive to produce new brands and new play concepts...There needs to be more risk-taking with major franchises...At the same time, there needs to be more acceptance and support when experiments fail.” Peer Schneider explained. Gamers are drawn to sequels, big name games, and games similar to those they like to play through advertising and social media, then spend and play hoping have found an experience that changes enough, but stays close to what they know they like. Gamers look for a fun gaming experience. SUMMER 2015

TECHNOPHILIA

from idea to Shelf by Jacob roth

n the 70s, people of all ages were mesmerized by the simplistic graphics and gameplay of first generation games such as Pong and Space Invaders. Nowadays, every gamer is entranced by eighth generation games, like Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare and NBA 2k15, with their near flawless graphics and thorough gameplay. Many people take every little detail in a game for granted, not even knowing where the details come from. It turns out that there are many long and complex steps taken in the process of creating a video game. It takes a great deal of time, dedication and talent for a great game to be developed. Let’s take a closer look. Rob Cohen is the CEO of a game developing company called Edge of Reality. He recently released their game Loadout for the Playstation 4 late last year.

“The development process usually starts with either a publisher looking to have a product made or a developer looking to have a project financed. Whoever initiates that has a high level concept about what the game will be about. This is typically a page or two,” Cohen said. After the project is initiated, the development team must know the basic idea of the game so that they will have a better idea regarding the game’s concept. “Once everyone is aligned on a concept,” says Cohen, “the developer creates a

more detailed pitch on the vision of the game. This is typically 20-50 pages, and it’s accompanied by supporting media, like concept art, storyboards and videos.” Now that the game is fully planned, the time has come for preproduction, which is typically the most time-consuming step of the development process. “In preproduction, detailed design, technical, art, and production planning is done and documented, and gameplay gets prototyped,” Cohen said. “At the end of preproduction, a ‘vertical slice’ is

https://www.flickr.com/photos/mbiebusch/4915576350/

Photo by: mbiebusch via Flikr

The simple graphics of the 70’s video games have been far outstripped by the precise graphics of modern day games

TECHNOPHILIA

Summer 2015

built that reasonably represents the finished quality of a small piece of the game. Major risks are dealt with, and the process for producing the rest of the game is proven.”

The Playstation 4 has set a new standard for speed and quality in the new generation of consoles.

Ph oto by :E van

-A mo s

via

W iki pe

dia

At this point, the components needed to create the game are present; the developers just need to put everything from preproduction together to make the game. “Next is production, the most expensive phase of game development. The team gets fully staffed, and all the content gets created here, using what was learned in preproduction,” Cohen said.

The video game goes through many rigorous and vigorous testings and fixings until there are basically no flaws in the game and before the game finally gets released to the public.

Now the game itself is completed, and the hard work of the developers has paid off. However, the game can still improve in either obvious or subtle ways.

The game got released at long last! Everything’s over now, right? Not necessarily. Sometimes development for the game is over, but other times, even though the game has gotten released, the job may not be over for the developer.

“Finally, there is post production, which includes final polish, testing, and platform certification (where applicable),” Cohen said.

“After release, development continues for games that have ongoing updates,” Cohen reveals. “Updates can be free, or they may be paid add-ons.”

John Warren is the founder and CEO of Minicore Studios, an Austin-based game development company. When the game finally gets released, the developer is hoping for “a product that works on both objective (does it work?) and subjective (is it fun?) levels,” Warren said. You would expect the developers to be excited after they release a game which they worked so hard on, which they are, but, even more so, they are exhausted and relieved. “Ideally, it feels good. I’ve always felt a sense of accomplishment, even if the game doesn’t sell well. However, making games is a mentally and (sometimes) physically exhausting job. I tend to feel relief more than exhilaration,” Warren says. Cohen feels the same way. “I usually feel exhausted, like we really wish we had another week, but we’d lack the energy if we did,” Cohen said. Inspiration for games can come from many places according to the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). Ideas for games may come from the developers, outsiders, movies, or current or historical events.

Mario is an iconic videogame character. Made in 1981, he is still alive today.

Summer 2015

Photo by: Daniel Costa via Flikr http://bit.ly/1CTc9Xf

TECHNOPHILIA

“It’s a cliche, but inspiration comes from everywhere,” said Warren. “The Sun at Night came from the idea of Laika the Soviet Space Dog coming back to earth to avenge her own death. Sometimes it’s a riff on an existing gameplay idea. Ideas are always flowing, but it’s the ideas within the ideas that are sometimes tricky to come up with.” For many developers, the hardest part of the development process is keeping everyone on the same page throughout the whole development time. “The biggest challenge is the human factor of managing lots of passionate, creative people, and keeping everyone marching in a common direction,” says Cohen. Although there are some difficult times in the development process, a developer keeps going strong for an amazing

moment in the process. “There’s a moment when you’re making your own game that it becomes fun to you,” Warren discloses. “That means you’re doing it right. You’re putting these tiny pieces together one at a time, hoping it’ll be good, but then you inevitably turn a corner and “BAM!”, your game is fun to you. I live for that moment.” There are many different ways to learn the skills needed to develop games, whether through online programs or learning by means of school or books. “I’m still learning them, but I teach myself with the help of coding programs and texts,” Warren said. “I learned through a blend of school, books, on the job, and talking to others in the industry,” said Cohen.

“It’s great to see it on the shelves, see the marketing, and most of all watch players react and appreciate details that required a lot of effort to create.” - Rob Cohen There is a program at the University of Texas at Austin called The Game and Mobile Media Applications Program, or GAMMA. Paul Toprac, the Associate Director and Senior Lecturer of the GAMMA Program, has over 20 years of

http://bit.ly/1FYvStk

Photo by: Marco Arment via Flikr

The gamer plays a videogame absent-mindedly. The gamer pays no attention to the great graphics

TECHNOPHILIA

Summer 2015

experience in the software industry. “The Game and Mobile Media Applications Program is an interdisciplinary undergraduate certificate program between the College of Fine Arts, Computer Science Department, and Radio-Television-Film Department,” Toprac said. “The program produces graduates ready to design, develop, and provide leadership for the exploding growth in game, mobile app, and creative media agencies and studios in Texas and around the world.” At GAMMA, the students learn a wide variety of skills and knowledge to prepare them for the real gaming industry. “Participating students will individually build their pertinent skills within their respective degree programs, then come together to collaboratively develop 2D and 3D games for mobile, online, and social technology platforms in the

program’s culminating experience: the Capstone Course,” Toprac explains.

Photo by: Evan-Amos vis Wikipedia

As the technology for developing games advances, and the gaming industry grows by leaps and bounds, video games are becoming increasingly popular in our contemporary culture. If The you love playing video took g Nintendo 3 games, this might by allo aming to DS XL a new wing be the thing for gam fo le with 3 eplay on a l r on-the-go vel you to do as a arge s D abil creen ity. career. “I’ve always been into games -- my grandmother bought me an NES for Christmas when I was four. I’ve been hooked ever since. Making them just became my dream and I followed it,” said Warren. •

Photo by: Marco Verch via Flikr

http://bit.ly/1b7CUSe

Gamers from all over flock to test out FIFA 14 on the Xbox One at a gaming convention.

TECHNOPHILIA

Summer 2015

TECHNOPHILIA

80 Ph ot

90 82.5

30 34 32.6

M Po ine cke cra t E ft: 20 ditio 11 n;

35.5

9 Mi ne cra ft; 20 09 Wi iS po rt 20 s Res 09 ort ; Ne wS Bro uper s.; Ma 20 06 rio

Tet r is

Ma rio K 20 art W 08 ii;

Ma 19 rio B 85 ros .;

Su per

GT AV ;2

Wi iS po rts

100

do group via Wkip : Ku e o by

a di

Tet r is

Units Sold (in millions)

The Top 20 best-selling by jacob roth

130

120

110

100 Photo by: dan taylor via Flikr

45 40.2

30.8 30

Summer 2015

Ph oto by

Video Games of all Time

d, Re ; on reen kem G Po , and 96 e 9 Blu 1

s II Op ck Bla 12 20

5 00 ;2 ogs nd nte Ni ; es! tur ven Ad 0 ect 201 Kin ;

D: Co

2 ps;

2 V;

O ck Bla

AI GT

D: Co

s; rea nd nA Sa 4 A: 200 GT rio Ma 09 er up ii; 20 wS Ne ros. W B

; lay iP Wi

TECHNOPHILIA

Summer 2015

23.6 23.9 24 24.2 25 26.5 26.3 27.5 27.8 28.8

F arron ujimoto vi a Fl ikr

:B by o ot Ph

tation Europe via ays l Flik P : r

Nanotechnology on the rise One Micro Step at a time By: Devang Deepak

Pre-cancer Mark Therman, was an extremely healthy man with an active lifestyle. When he was diagnosed with cancer, he had to undergo chemotherapy to save his life. Throughout the treatment, many different changes occurred. His head, usually full with a mop of brown hair, is now bald and bare. He is always tired and weak, and movements that were once easy to him, now are difficult. His eyes seem to always be protruding and they are always red.

herman would have greatly benefited in health if he was able to use nanotechnology in his treatments. Chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and bone marrow transplants, are some of the ways used in order to cure cancer. While effective, all those treatments

can be destructive to the body, as they use some poisonous drugs in order to kill the cancerous cells. Now, there is an alternative solution to cancer. Researchers have thought of using nanorobots to travel through the bloodstream and destroy the cancerous

cells while not harming anyone in the process. Nanorobots can also be used to help improve the lives of people who have poor blood vessels in order to clean them. Severely malnourished children around the world who are constantly thirsty and dehydrated have no source

https://www.flickr.com/photos/oregonstateuniversity/6816133738/

Photo courtesy of Oregon State University via flickr

A close-up segment of a carbon nanotube reveals that it has a thin cylindrical shape for its structure. Carbon nanotubes possess extraordinary strength and ability to conduct heat and electricity will help us build more efficient structures and devices.

18 TECHNOPHILIA

Summer 2015

Photo courtesy of Pacific Northwest National Laboratory via flickr https://www.flickr.com/photos/pnnl/13274139095/

of water. With the use of nano parts they could have a constant clean source of water to drink from. Mancevski has pointed out that nanotechnology can help save the worlds problems by helping both people in need and other fields of technology. Nanotechnology deals with the control of matter within dimensions of 1 and 100 nanometer and is used in many commercial products and processes, for example, nanomaterials are used to manufacture lightweight, strong materials for applications such as boat hulls, sporting equipment,sunscreens,cosmetics and automotive parts. Mancevski said that nanotechnology is used in other markets as well. “We are in the phase of doing research and development because nanotechnology is 15 years old and has a very low commercial aspect,” Mancevski said. “Somebody once said that it takes 20 to 30 years from a real technology to the market, like for lasers and for other components. It is relatively new.” There are different jobs when dealing with nanotechnology like research and conducting experiments. The other side of the spectrum deals with manufacturing nanotechnology. Fan has said that a main job in nanotechnology is nanobots, which aim to be deployed in the medical industry in order to take down diseases and such. According to Mancevski there is not a lot of manufacturing in nanotechnology right now, as most of it is in education, research and development. “I focus on exploiting monumental physics and chemistry for manufacturing and the application,” Donglei Fan said. “Especially in chemical sensing, single-life cell simulation, microelectromechanical system devices and energy conversion storage devices.” As per Fan, nanotechnology is helping to considerably improve, even revolutionize, many technology and industry sectors: information technology, energy, environmental science, medicine, Summer 2015

A close up view of graphene in a nanoscale shows that it has a flat planular surface. Graphene is a topic worth researching as it is one of the few two-dimensional obejects, has the best conductivity of electricity out of any known material and can be used to make extremely samll devices.

homeland security, food safety and transportation, and through the use of nanotechnology, materials can be effectively used to make stronger, lighter, more durable, more reactive, or better electrical conductors, among other traits. According to researchers in the energy sector, items like batteries, fuel cells, and solar cells can be built smaller and be made store more than ten times more power than they normally could. Mancevski works on producing energy efficient products using nanotechnology in his lab.

produce an abundance of food, provide for cleaner water, make the transport of goods easier and cheaper to people in remote areas, and provide clean and cheap energy sources. Furthermore they have deduced that purifying salt water can help provide clean water to million and millions of people. Products of nanotechnology will be smaller, cheaper, lighter yet more functional and require less energy and fewer raw materials to manufacture. Hence allowing people in poorer countries to buy these products, like plastics or water filters to help themselves. Fan said that nanotechnology “I focus on the aspect of using carbonwould revolutionize water treatment nanotubes and “A person that is 80 and help both poor graphene, they are people and help years old can have us understand the carbon basednanomaterials arteries as clean as properties of it in a and in particular nano-scale. a 10 year old with using them for energy,” he said. “Also, we can detect this technology.” “ Like for energy the chemicals storing capacitors - Dr. Donglei Fan that are toxic to and batteries… people, and also we For me, when and if this product works can detect some elements that are not it is helping reduce pollution because friendly in the environments water, so we batteries and capacitors help save energy.” can watch the quality of the water,” Fan said. Scientists have theorized that nanotech inventions can help fight tropical disease, Nanotechnology is used in day-to-day TECHNOPHILIA

http://www.iflscience.com/tags/cancer

Photo by: Andreas Matzke/Shutterstock

A Nanobot (green) is about to destroy a virus (yellow). Nano Robots have a huge potential in helping the world. They can enhance drug delivery so that the drug arrives a t the correst place faster and much quicker. Furthermore Nano Robots can help defeat diseases by destroying the bacteria/virus and cure cancer by destroying the tumor.

objects. From regular sports equipment to boat hulls and batteries. They all have a couple of goals in common though. They serve to make objects more efficient and stronger. There are multiple means of putting nanotechnology into objects. The most common is to use nano carbon tubes (which are a type of nanotechnology that is commonly incorporated into items) and use them as a powder or meld them into items, like plastic, to make them stronger. Mancevski has specifically worked with carbon nanotubes and their real life utilizations. “I focus on the aspect of using carbonnanotubes and graphene, they are carbon based-nanomaterials and in particular using them for energy,” he said. “Like for energy storing capacitors and batteries... They use carbon nanotubes, it looks like a powder and when you meld the plastic you put them in a certain percentage and then suddenly the plastic becomes better.”

20 TECHNOPHILIA

Nanotechnology is already used as the basis for new, more effective drug delivery systems and is in early stage development as scaffolding in nerve regeneration research. Moreover, the National Cancer Institute has created the Alliance for Nanotechnology in Cancer in the hope that investments in this branch of nanomedicine could lead to breakthroughs in terms of detecting, diagnosing, and treating various forms of cancer. “Well, in general nanotechnology can help improve the lives of people in medicine, it can help design better drugs, get better therapeutics,” he said. “But more and more people are using quantum dots for things like medical imaging.” Scientists believe that nanotechnology would greatly benefiting cancer treatment and will go to further develop in the future, as it is still in the development phase. Nanorobots are supposed to latch on the cancer cells

and tumors and then destroy it. Fan said that nanotechnology can provide rapid and sensitive detection of cancer-related molecules, enabling scientists to detect molecular changes even when they occur only in a small percentage of cells. Fan specializes in working with nanorobots, and has done research and experiments with them in her lab. “With these motors in the nanorobots could be able to swim along the blood stream and land onto blood vessels and cancerous cells and destroy it,” she said. Nanotechnology has entered the realm of drug delivery. Performances of intelligent drug delivery systems are continuously improved with the purpose to maximize therapeutic activity and to help minimize undesirable side-effects and reduce waste in consumption and treatment expenses, through using the exact amount of drugs that are needed. Furthermore, drug delivery through nanotechnology will help increase the efficiency of this task, by both increasing the speed of this task and getting the correct amount to the Summer 2015

correct place. Fan said that nanobots could be used in other areas of medicine as well. She said that a main one was drug delivery using the nanorobots. “For instance, if we can design nanobots that can go through the blood vessels to deliver medical drugs to destroy cells, then there are many diseases that can be cured,” Fan said. “So with nanobots we hope to go through the barrier and then deliver the drugs to destroy cells.”

“ It can make things water repellent, like fabric and other things, for example, it will go to planes to make better wings,” he said. “ In the dreamliner it is made out of carbon fiber. So that they could make

the wings even lighter and stronger.” Further into the future, Mancevski believes that nanotechnology will play a major role in revolutionizing medicine and lengthening peoples’ lives, for people like Mark Therman. But, he thinks that nanotechnology not noticed enough. “ People announce their success too early and they claim that it will solve the world’s problems and then nothing happens for years so people get disappointed,” Mancevski said. “It kind of prevents the development just because some scientist makes sensational claims while in actuality they just solved a little piece of the puzzle.” •

Photo by: Shaddack via Wikipedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_nanotube#/media/File:Mutr-nanotubes1.jpg

Nanotechnology can be used in the realm of medicine. Specifically, the heart. Around 610,000 people die every year, in the United States alone, because of heart related diseases. Nanobots could help clean the blood vessels in a human being and remove any blockage (build up of fats) that is there. It can help reduce heart attacks and strokes. Strengthening of the tissue of the heart is possible. This will help people live longer and lead healthier lives. Fan said that alongside with cancer, major heart issues could also be solved. She said that this would help people live longer which could possibly lead to immortality in the future.

enhance the medical industry, in both cleaning body parts( arteries) and help cure cancer (by destroying cancerous cells with nanorobots), and it could possibly provide filtration of water, so that millions of people in poor countries can drink fresh water. Mancevski said that nanotechnology provides many different possibilities in the future, to help us in different areas, and that it would greatly benefit us in general in different materials.

“Also nanorobotic devices could be used for putting in the arteries and cleaning the blood vessels and improve the lives of people with heart problems…. So a person that is 80 years old can have arteries as clean as a 10 year old,” she said. “This would help make their lifespan a lot longer and I think that this aspect would be very useful.” Carbon nanotubes have been a major breakthrough in nanotechnology. People are making a fiber made of carbon nanotubes and there are theories saying that these fibers could be used to make a space elevator, but if the fiber were made out of any other material then it would break. The cable would go straight into space and then shuttles would go up and down that rope. Researchers at U.T have said that nanotechnology can help increase the efficiency of materials, as they can make different fabrics and materials which have the capabilities of exceeding the strength of steel. They have also confirmed that it would greatly Summer 2015

Carbon Nanotubes are usually ground into a fine black powder. This is done so that it is easier to meld them into plastics, metals or other objects to make them stronger . Carbon Nanotubes are 117 wwtimes stronger than steel so they can greatly increase the efficiency and durability of a material. TECHNOPHILIA

The Age Old Fight Apple V. S. Android

Written By:Devang Deepak

The Bottom Line

Pros

-Spacious, crisp 4.7-inch screen -Improved wireless speeds -Better camera autofocus -Storage capacities to 128GB -Excellent app selection(no Malware) -Apple Pay is a smooth, secure payment system.

Cons

Although it has an average battery life the iPhone 6 is an exceptional phone in nearly every way sporting an elegant design, crisp display and speedy processor. . Users should choose this phone if they are looking for a user friendly phone, has a low crash rate and can’t get a virus.

-Battery life isn’t much better than last year’s iPhone 5S. -An even larger screen could have been squeezed into the same housing. -Slightly Expensive

Apple iPhone-

Photo Courtesy of : Kārlis Dambrāns

http://bit.ly/1zHRx4g

22 TECHNOPHILIA

This information was gathered by: http://cnet.co/1I3y0TT, http://bit.ly/1yvZTyF, http://bit.ly/YulEjY

Dimensions

5.44 x 2.64 x 0.27 inches

iOS 8.3

Card Slot

None

Battery

Stand By: 250 Hours

Weight

129 g (4.55 oz)

Camera

Front- 1.2 mp, Back- 8 mp

Chipset/ CPU

Apple A8, Dual-core 1.4 GHz

Internal Memory

16,64,128 GB and 1 GB RAM

Resolution

750 x 1334 pixels

Summer 2015

Android vs. Apple is the ever-raging debate among smartphone users – and the main question that remains is which platform is right for you? The iPhone 6 is Apple’s newest member and the Samsung Galaxy S6 edge is the newest phone in the Android Market. How do they fare against each other?

-Fast, slick and powerful interface -Stunning camera -Good build quality and look -Innovative design -High resolution display

-Extremely expensive -Battery life off par -Unlike predecessors doesn’t support micro SD or removable battery -Tricky to hold

Cons

While pricey, the Galaxy S6 Edge sports an extremely unique design with amazing cameras, a stunning display and friendly software. User should choose this phone if they are looking for more customization, and freedom in their phone while willing to take risks; such as crashing and getting a virus if not used carefully

Pros

The Bottom Line

Samsung Galaxy S65.65 x 2.78 x 0.27 inches

Android 5.0.2 (Lollipop)

Card Slot

None

Battery

Not Available

Weight

138 g (4.87 oz)

Camera

Front- 16 mp, Back- 5 mp

Chipset/ CPU

Exynos 7420, Quad-core 1.5

Internal Memory

32,64,128 GB and 3 GB RAM

Resolution

1440 x 2560 pixels

Summer 2015

http://bit.ly/1b7zZbh

Dimensions

Photo Courtesy of : TechStage

Edge

23 TECHNOPHILIA

This information was gathered by: http://bit.ly/17PsAfu, http://bit.ly/1OMILOp, http://bit.ly/1Jf1ZFF, http://bit.ly/1I3yjhG, http://cnet.co/1E6sQ6e

Photo Courtesy of : Guy Sle

https://www.flickr.com/photos/guysie/6095265888