The Broken Wire by LASA Ezine

Le t t e r f r o m t h e A u t h o r s Hello and Welcome to the Broken Wire! Technology has come a long way in the past couple of decades and the magazine in front of you will not only inform you about the past but prepare you for the future. To this day in age, some of the highest and most stable paying jobs around the globe are closely related to the ever-growing tech industry. Jobs such as cloud developers, computer system engineers, and analysts are spreading through the workforce like lightning. In this magazine, you can learn everything you need to know before you take your dive into the future. We will cover the benefits of the tech industry, innovative and new energy, updates on the world of gaming, and the base of the web, the computer cloud. Using this magazine, we hope we spark your interest in technology and inform you about the future. We started all as teens with primarily an interest in technology. We have worked on this magazine every day for the past three months to present these words and images in front of you, along the way picking up new skills such as graphic designing and interviewing. As technology shapes more and more of our lives, it would only make sense for us to explore it as well. With all that being said, Hope you enjoy it!

Me e t T h e A u t h o r s My name is Leo Robles, and I am a freshman at LASA high school. I have played piano since I was eight years old, and I played percussion at Fulmore middle school for all three years. I am now part of the symphonic band at LASA. I will be writing about the benefits of going to a technology-based college, technology careers, and new studies based on new devices or websites that have come out. I want people to be able to know what kind of opportunities they have of learning something that is very popular and has many job offers.

My name is Matthew Shi and I am a freshman at LASA high school. I enjoy playing baseball and programming. Since I was a child, I have thought that coding was very interesting. You had the ability to revive something previously only an object. I have even begun to learning

Letter from of technology. My magazine will tell you how the cloud works, what it has done, and how the future can be affected by it. If we continue to develop the the authors cloud at the rate we are, we could open the doors that will lead to us a bright future. goes here

a couple languages on my own. My article is about cloud computing, the heart

O f t h e B r o k e n Wir e I?m Femi Makinde, a 9th grader at LASA High School. I was more focused on renewable energy for our theme based around the future of technology. I?ll be explaining how renewable energy will change the future of the US and Texas and the people involved in that shift. I really wanted to learn more about renewable energy as it has always been an interest of mine. Besides

Meet the looking more into renewable energy, I also am interested in music and video games as well as sports. I play piano and listen to all types of music, I have an authors goes Xbox and play games on my phone as well, and I am a fan of the NBA and have done soccer in the past as well. The future of our world depends on renewable here energy, and I want to take a firsthand look at who is leading the way. Hello! I'm James Ervin and I'm currently attending LASA High School in Austin, Texas. Though LASA's Electronic Magazine Program I was able to have the privilege of being a part of this publication. My interests include, Astronomy, Space Travel, Programming, Kerbal Space Program, Jojo's Bizarre Adventure and almost anything Nintendo. I am also studying Japanese thourgh LASA's LOTE Program. I'm the Content Manager for this magazine and I'll be writing about the Nintendo Wii and Nintendo Switch. I believe that with the Scientific Method, figuring out almost anything is possible. I look forward to the future where I will hopefully help to lead the charge towards a brighter, smarter future for everyone. 4

T abl e of Cont ent s T h e B r o k e n Wir e C r e d it s

Ev eryth i ng's M ore Renew ab l e I n Tex as How renewable energy is changing the world

Wii A r e Ga me r s A dive intothe impact of the Nintendo Wii on gaming.

Into The Cloud An introduction to a new and improved method of storage

Learning From The Best How technology careers are the next big thing

Ev eryth i ng's M ore Renew abl e i n Tex as

How Texas is a major force for renewable energy in the United States, and the people leading the way.

Renewable energy farms, wind farm pictured (top) and solar panel farm pictured as well. (bottom) Wind farms are an important way to utilize the energy of wind, this image was provided courtesy of Pioneer Green Energy. Solar farms are great ways to use the suns radiation and Cypress Creek Renewables provided the image of this in action.

Renewable energy is shaping up to be the energy of the future. While oil and natural gas are much more widely used, they are beginning to seem like things of the past. Renewable energy is being built all across the United States, and in Texas, some companies are using that opportunity to create business. What they do is capture the Earth?s inexhaustible energy, and this includes solar, wind, hydroelectric, geothermal, hydrogen, and biomass. Wind energy works from using wind turbines to capture the kinetic energy of wind flow to turn turbines and make electricity. Wind is caused by differences in temperature across the globe from the energy the Sun provides. It is a clean energy source and can also provide jobs as maintaining and creating wind turbines is an intensive process. Some of the restrictions on wind farms are that wind turbines are large, and can?t really be placed in big cities, where energy is needed most. Solar energy uses an array of photovoltaic systems to capture

W ritten by Femi Makinde

power sold,? Buis said. ?Working with companies were interested in buying or utilities, which are interested in buying a lot of electricity. And getting necessary permits to build

"Sol ar far ms and w ind far ms ar e both tr ying to use the Sun's Ener gy, just in tw o ver y differ ent w ays." -Gr eg Buis that, whether that's environmental permits, or building permits.?

Wind farms are prevalent in Texas, and this was courtesy of Pioneer Green Energy. Wind farms are a way to capture energy that is renewable. Cows also pictured in front of this recently created wind farm in West Texas.

the radiant energy from the Sun and converts that into electricity. The benefits of solar is that it is an endless source of energy and is more consistent. Wind however is inclement and depends on the weather conditions from hour to hour while solar energy is readily available as long as there is light. Solar panels still work even on a cloudy day even though it would put out less power. Solar energy is very cheap and can work in urban areas as it isn?t very intrusive or expensive to build . Some challenges to solar panels are that they are a large upfront cost, you have to arrange them carefully, and don?t produce any energy during the nighttime. Texas is the top producer of oil and natural gas, leads the United States in wind power, and produces and consumes the most energy of any state by far. It is a major player on

the energy stage. Greg Buis, the president of Pioneer Green Energy, a utility scale wind and solar development company and Nicko Keene, an associate director of Texas operations for Cypress Creek Renewables are some of the people leading the way. There are three phases to getting a renewable energy project from start to finish, according to Greg Buis. ?Development is a process of identifying the location, putting together various entitlements for the land, clearing up any land issues associated with it, getting the permitting done, getting the

The second phase is the actual construction of the renewable energy farm. ?The second phase is construction. And that's just as it sounds, that's where a construction company is involved in, in the kind of the more final stages of design and engineering of a project. So in the early phase, we understand what the location is going to be in a development phase, you understand what the location is going to be, you roughly understand the equipment

Solar panel farms must cover a large surface area to effectively capture the Sun's energy. This is in Texas, the photo is courtesy of Cypress Creek Renewables.

Wind turbines are very large, and take heavy machinery to construct. This image was courtesy of Pioneer Green Energy, it captures the construction of a wind turbine in one of their wind farms in Texas.

that might go out there, it's kind of the preliminary sketches about what a project would look like. The construction phase is much more engineering specific? Buis said.

businessmen, to construction workers. All of this is what goes on during the process of building a farm for renewable energy, and more specifically wind and solar farms.

While Pioneer Green Energy isn?t directly involved with maintaining the farms after they are built, it is a key part of how a renewable energy farm works as it should.

Buis explained why Texas is such a major role in energy.

?Texas by far has the most installed wind of any state in the United States, and it's not necessarily because of the ?The third phase is operations, green attributes, I think that where you have a wind or solar there are a couple of things that farm that's out there on the contribute to Texas, having so land, and the fuel is free, but the much wind energy,? Buis said. work that has to be done out on ?One is that it's windy the land is mostly maintenance ...Secondly, it's good to be close type work, to keep everything to where it's used, because it's operating as it should? Buis said. very expensive to build an extension cord from your wind Taking a renewable energy farm to where it needs to go. project from start to finish is a Now, that's not necessarily process that takes years and exactly where it's used. But if many people involved. From you think of the grid in quotes, lawyers, to engineers, to

which is the electricity grid, there's high voltage transmission that runs around the country, and they're very large lines, and then they're broken down into smaller lines, smaller and smaller lines that eventually go to your house.? It?s expensive to build an extension line so being close to them is key. The third reason is the market. ?Some years ago, Texas deregulated its energy market, people would argue whether it's a good or a bad thing for the end consumer. But I would say for the sale of electricity, it has allowed a lot more options. And like I just mentioned, in Texas, you can sell not only to a utility, but you could sell to a different off taker, as they call them, 8

electricity to be sold.. Utilizing clean energy is a key issue within Texan politics, and Lloyd Dogget, who represents Austin?s district in Congress knows this.

Wind farms are a valuable adddition to land for some homeowners. Photo courtesy of Pioneer Green Energy.

whether it be like a large corporation or somebody else. So there are a lot of great opportunities for selling the power here in Texas, which is a very power friendly state.? Buis said.

increases tax revenue in the community, it is unintrusive, and it?s an easy source of energy.

According to Buis and Keene, a couple of factors go into Texas being a huge player in terms of Keene explained that the local energy. For one, it has the and state governments in Texas resources. It has a vast amount allowed for renewable energy of natural gas and oil, lots of companies to do business sun, and it is very windy in easily. He said that a reason that certain areas. The second is that Texas is so big for solar in Texas invests a lot in those general is because there?s transmission lines, which allows abundant and inexpensive land energy to be transferred from with a great solar resource. the spread out cities and towns it has, that power plants can be Buis and Keene have two connected to. The third is that different perspectives on the there are many business biggest misconceptions on opportunities in Texas for renewable energy. Buis said that people have a misconception that it isn?t actually cost effective. That many might think that it is all helped by government subsidies and that it isn?t a viable option. Keene said the biggest misconceptions are about how it affects 10 communities. He says it greatly

?Clean energy is an engine of economic growth in Texas and throughout the United States. Encouraging the expansion of renewable energy is vital for protecting our planet and our national security,? Dogget said. ?Texas, in particular, is well positioned to reap the benefits of the clean energy economy. Texas has been the national leader in installed wind capacity for many years and has vast solar resource potential.? Wind and solar power seem to be glimpses of what the future holds in terms of energy, and some in Texas are using this technology as an opportunity to succeed. ?I think that one of the biggest challenges to wind and solar now is greater implementation of wind and solar is storage, and economically feasible storage technology,? Buis said. ?And that's happening. It's happening now.? Sources for Article: EIA and EPA

Solar panels are more useful in areas with lots of sunlight and clear skies. This is the case in Texas and solar panels are arranged in the state Image courtesy of Cypress Creek Renewables

Graphics by Femi Makinde

Sources: EIA and EPA

Wii A r e g a me r s A n A r t ic l e p r o g r a mme d b y J a me s E r v in

Shelves full of Classic Consoles at the Gamefellas. These consoles include, NES, SNES, N64, GameCube, Wii, Xbox Classic,and Sega Mega Drive among other Merchandise. Photo Courtesy of Gamefellas Austin offers many places to shop for video games with one being located next to a Pizza Hut and a GNC and near a Lowes and Fiesta Store. Gamefellas, established in 2004, is dedicated to offering a great collection and variety of video game consoles, merchandise, and games. They also offer many different board games from simple trading card games to anything and everything you'd need for a long game of Dungeons and Dragons. Gamefellas also strives for great customer service and reasonable prices to casual gamers and

collectors alike. Among the many consoles they offer, one stands out from the rest of the group. The Nintendo Wii. It was a seventh generation home console that was released on November 19, 2006. It had online support for its various services and games until October 24, 2013, with the EU being the last region It featured advanced but easy to use motion controls that were welcoming to both casual and serious gamers. It also introduced a more widespread support system for online gaming as well as a few titles that supported

crossplay from the Nintendo DS and the Wii. This was expanded upon between the Wii U and the 3DS. The Wii was also the first Nintendo console to support video streaming with various services including Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime Video. The Wii also allowed users to contact each other through WiiConnect24 which served as the main bridge between the different Wii consoles.

?Well, you know like most teenage boys I played video games," said Robert "Bobby" Basquez, the Store Manager for Gamefellas, "a lot of video games, and it was a passion of mine so I had on opportunity to work with someone who I was really close with, a friend of mine, who had started a business, and we've been doing that ever since.? Running a small business is no easy feat, and Basquez knows this. "So it's like any other

A Glass Counter Full of GameBoy, GameBoy Color, GameBoy Advance, and DS Cartridges. There are also a few GameBoy Printers and a few GameBoy Printers. Photo Courtesy of Gamefellas job. It's work,?Basquez said. ?You don't actually sit there and play video games all day long. You get to talk about video games and you know, you're surrounded by them but you have a responsibility to your company and your customers to provide the best product possible and y'know, great customer service. It's important to do

what's necessary to offer that service up to your customers and that includes keeping the store clean, organized, and testing out all the games that come in, making sure that you handle any questions and y'know, any problems that might arise from the games or systems that were sold. So it's, y'know, like most jobs in where you have and job to do

The Logo for WiiConnect24 Photo Courtesy of Nintendo

and as long as you enjoy doing what you're doing and you're doing it to the best of your abilities, you'll be happy and I've been fortunate to have been in that position for 20- 25 years.? The Nintendo Wii is a familiar console and for many, it was among the first video game consoles they played on. The Wii is distinctive with its white slender box design and its TV remote control looking controller affectionately named the Wiimote. Many still use their Wiis or its successor, the Wii U, to still play games with friends and family. ?I've always been fond about the Wii, "Basquez said. " think like most Nintendo

Systems it's has that want, that everyone wants a Nintendo system and either the new PlayStation or the new Xbox system but the Wii introduced the different way to play games with the motion controllers, y'know, brought a whole different experience to gaming and it also provided a little bit more user friendly way of playing certain games.? The Wii introduced video games to more people who maybe weren't gamers before or found other games too complicated. Most of the games on PlayStation and the Xbox are meant for an older audience. On the other hand Nintendo made games that were meant for all audiences. Nintendo strived to

"I do n 't t hin k t ha t yo u'r e go in g t o see a w ho l e l o t o f super expen sive ga mes, super r a r e ga mes t ha t so meo n e ca n r un t hr o ugh o n ce in 20 ho ur s a n d be sa t isf ied w it h it a n d n o t ever pl a y it a ga in ." -Bo bby Ba sq uez 14

The Nintendo Wii in its packaging bundled with Wii Sports. Photo Courtesy of Nintendo

keep any suggestive content out of their first party games and worked hard to make the games captivating with intriguing lore and/or great game play and original, creative and usually quirky characters. "The Wii introduced video games to more people who maybe weren't gamers before or found other games too complicated and y'know, the controllers were just too hard to learn or what to do," Basquez said, "How to do things especially like combo moves where in a fighting game, y'know, you'd have to press ten buttons to execute moves and the faster the better. With the Wii, well, you just point and click with the motion controller and that meant that Mom and Dad, and Grandma and Grandpa could sit down and play a carnival shooter with you or a bowling game or

something and y'know for that reason.? According to Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft sales data, the Nintendo Wii sold 101.63 million units worldwide as of September 30, 2019. The Sony PlayStation 3 sold 87.4 million units worldwide as of March 31, 2017. The Xbox 360 sold 80 million units worldwide as of October 17, 2013. Wikipedia lists 1546 Games released for the Wii including some unreleased titles, 1445 titles released on disk for the PlayStation 3 and Finally, Wikipedia lists 2085 games released on retail disc, digital download or as part of the Xbox Live Arcade. Nintendo has always put their users and games as their primary priority. Nintendo only recently got into the paid online

services with Nintendo Switch Online. This service offers an online multiplayer for most games and a large library of Nintendo games from the NES and SNES. This service costs 20 dollars a year while Sony and Microsoft's online services cost 60 dollars a year and don't have as many benefits for users. "The Wii and Nintendo's Philosophy in general with their Systems is not to push out to push out the most technologically advanced system. They are much more interested in having a product that is going to be fun to play and you could stream stuff from the Wii. That was one of the more popular things you could do, you could watch, y'know, Netflix so it had a lot of bells and whistles and the whole notion of the controller thing was fairly innovative.?said Basquez. The Nintendo Wii U was the successor to the Wii, released on November 18 in 2012, offered the player backward compatibility with all Wii games and HD Graphics. According to Nintendo Data, the Nintendo Wii U sold 13.56 million units during its lifetime from November 18, 2012 to January 31, 2017 It also retained most of the Wii's features like console to console communication and streaming services like Netflix and YouTube. It suffered from a weak selection of launch games and limited

3rd party support. The Wii U also featured a tablet controller named the Wii U GamePad that was bundled with every console instead of the older but still compatible Wiimote. ?First off is the backward compatibility and that it's a huge selling point. The fact that you can play Gamecube games and Wii games on your Wii system is going to have a long term impact on the Wii's Sales." Basquez said, "I don't think that we're going to see a decline in the sales that we're having on the Wii, not that it's the most popular system out right now but I think people will always want to buy a Wii much more like they want to buy a Nintendo 64 or a Super Nintendo and the fact that you can play Gamecube games and Wii games is huge." One interesting thing about running a store with a video game console and game trade-in is that you may find rare games. "To my memory, we've probably cycled through much more rare games, much more expensive games, much harder to find games, but Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3, now is probably the most expensive game that I can recall having in the last six months. That's probably an 80 to 90 dollar game." Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3 was released on the Wii and PlayStation 2 on November 13, 2007 in North America. It

The newer redesigned Gamefellas Logo found on their online website. Image Courtesy of Gamefellas

Vegeta and Goku Spar in Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3 on the Wii Image Courtesy of Bandai Namco

features a large roster of playable characters from the Dragon Ball Series with 98 Characters in 161 forms. It featured cell shaded graphics with a single player and multiplayer modes with the Wii specifically having Online capabilities. ?Generally speaking more expensive games have a limited run so there's not a whole lot of them out there. Most of them are cool titles or they have a fanbase that would be interested in that specific title." Basquez said, "Like there's a lot of people who still like playing and watching Dragon Ball Z but they didn't make a whole lot of games and there isn't a whole lot of copies of those games or a lot of people are holding on to them so there's not a lot of games that you 18

can find out in the marketplaces. Therefore their price goes up a little bit with the decreasing supply of them. A game doesn't have to be awesome to be expensive if it is a good game and it had a limited run, then it's probably going to be even more expensive and you should probably hold on to it and not ever sell it. The mark of a great game is not how much glamorous or how advanced the graphics are. It's all about the gameplay and with replayability being a key factor towards the game's success. "Replayability is also an important, yeah, I don't think that you're going to see a whole lot of super expensive games, super rare games that someone can run through once in 20 hours and be

satisfied with it and not ever play it again" Basquez said, "so y'know Contra for the NES is still like a forty to fifty dollar game and that game is 25 years old but you can sit there and play that forever and, y'know, have fun with it and never get bored with it but due to time and brand and of course the fact that they don't make it anymore at least as a cartridge for that system keeps that price pretty high because people are still looking for that game and that are having a hard time finding it. When you find one you usually find that it's already sold or someone is looking for it as well or have had their eye on it or have asked for us to hold it for them." Limited run games are different in the way that there will be less supply or copies of the

game floating around for people to get their hands on. ?I think that any Mario game, any RPG, any first party Nintendo Title regardless of how many units they made, y'know, even some of the Super Mario games from the NES still sell for 20 dollars, you would expect to pay two dollars for an NES game or five dollars but those games are the games that will have long term appeal for as long as anyone want to play them on that system.?A recent limited run game released on September 18, 2020 named Super Mario 3D All-Stars for the Nintendo Switch. It featured Super Mario 64, Super Mario Sunshine, and Super Mario Galaxy with minor improvements and both a handheld and TV modes to play with. 3D

People play Wii Sports Tennis at E3 2006 Photo Courtesy of AnandTech

The Nintendo Dual Screen, or DS for short, was the successor to the GameBoy Advance released in 2004. It featured a dual screen system with the bottom half being a touch screen. It sold 154.02 million units as of March 31st, 2016 . It was replaced by the 3DS in 2013. Image Courtesy of Nintendo

All-Stars is available for purchase until March 31st, 2021 on both the Nintendo eShop and a physical copy in retailers. "I'm a big proponent of physical media. If I had an option to buy a physical copy of something and a digital copy of something, always, y'know, buy the physical copy of something." Basquez said, "It's property that you own, you can pass it on to your friend or your brother as long as you keep taking care of it, don't lose it and you're going to have a working system, you're always going to be able to play it and they can't take it away from you. If you don't like it, you can actually sell it or if you need money, you can sell it." The Wii's support existed alongside the Nintendo DS for the first half of its life. The Nintendo 3DS support lasted throughout the latter half of the Wii's life, the whole Wii U Era, and into early 2020 in where it was

officially discontinued in favor of more support to the newer, more powerful, hybrid Nintendo Switch. ?I don't think the Wii had a whole lot to do with the portable systems. I think that the experience that Nintendo had with the GameBoy and DS and the GameBoy Color and the SP really was something that they enhanced and improved upon with each iteration of the next generation of portable system." Basquez said, "There's no doubt that Nintendo's the king of portable

The rare Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword bundle with a Golden Zelda-Themed Wiimote. Image Courtesy of Nintendo 20

The Nintendo Wii Home Menu Image Courtesy of Nintendo systems, portable consoles, and that is due to their ability to put out some amazing games. They've really focused on the software, bringing out really good software and repeating that for each system, y'know, building upon what they've already built. Aside from some compatibility and advances that you might have from portable and console gameplay, I don't think that the Wii brought anything to portable gaming. The Wii in my mind, it's a great family system, it's user friendly, has some amazing games, and it brought more people into playing a console system than maybe the Xbox or the PlayStation 3 would've at the time. I don't see my mother playing the PlayStation 3, y'know, Call of Duty or something along that line but I can tell you that they would've definitely been interested in playing a Wii Fit game on the balance board, or y'know, a carnival shooter if they y'know wanted to have a family night or something." The only things that are certain in this world

are uncertainty and Nintendo's unpredictability. They've pushed out consoles and games that stick with whoever played them in ways both big and small. Nintendo has pioneered what makes a game good, what makes it fun to play, and has refined a variety of technologies that very few thought would make for something good. They take an idea or a group of ideas and turn them into something unforgettable. These games have impacted people of all backgrounds from a six year-old playing with his cousins to a freshman struggling to come up with an idea for an article to a store manager who does what he does because of his love for video games. Nintendo truly is a company that can unite a group of seemingly unrelated people.

The Nintendo Wii Image Courtesy of Nintendo 22

October 20th , 2017 to August 8th, 2018

A n Economi c Hi story of th e Ni ntendo Sw i tch 1/12/2017

3/3/2017

4/28/2017

Open: 27.85

Open: 25.95

Open: 31.43

Close: 27.6

Close: 26.04

Close: 31.68

A Nintendo Direct focusing on Hardware and Software.

The Nintendo Switch goes on sale along with LoZ BoTW.

A port of the Wii U's MK 8, an Enhanced version with new content is released.

10/20/2016

2/6/2017

4/12/2017

5/11/2017

Open: 31.52

Open: 26.47

Open: 29.06

Open: 32.37

Close: 31.59

Close: 26.41

Close: 29.14

Close: 32.39

The NX is officially named the Switch.

LoZ: BotW's Production is finished and the Game is ready to go on Sale.

A Nintendo Direct focusing on Splatoon 2 and Arms.

The famous block building game makes a Switch debut.

Snapped i n Pl ace By James Erv i n

6/16/2017

8/29/2017

3/8/2018

8/8/2018

Open: 40.59

Open: 42.01

Open: 57

Open: 41.94

Close: 40.49

Close: 41.8

Close: 56.85

Close: 41.58

Following in the footsteps of Wii Fit, a new take on boxing is released.

A wacky turn based RPG with two unlikely franchises.

Kirby comes right back at ya with a new Co-Op Platformer on Switch.

Chrom, Simon, Richter, Dark Samus, and King K. Rool join SSBU

7/21/2017

10/27/2017

5/4/2018

Open: 41.6

Open: 49.8

Open: 52.27

Close: 41.71

Close: 47.66

Close: 53.41

After the cult hit Splatoon, Nintendo releases a hit sequel to the Switch.

The latest 3D Mario platformer gives you larger areas to explore!

Donkey Kong and Family leap on to Switch with this Wii U Port.

Novem ber 1st, 2018 to October 22nd, 2020

11/1/2018

1/11/2019

7/10/2019

9/4/2019

Open: 39.25

Open: 34.85

Open:

Open: 48.77

Close: 39.39

Close: 34.84

Close:

Close: 48.55

A final pre-SSBU release Nintendo Direct.

A port of the successful Wii U title, New Super Mario Bros. U.

Continuing the tradition, Nintendo unveils a handheld console.

Terry Bogard from SNK joins SSBU in this Direct.

12/7/2018

6/28/2019

7/26/2019

Open: 36.38

Open: 45.64

Open: 46.64

Close: 35.89

Close: 45.77

Close: 44.97

The Ultimate fighting game goes on sale.

A sequel to the popular Wii U Mario level building game.

The next installment in the niche Nintendo RPG.

10/31/2019

3/20/2020

10/2/2020

Open: 46.30

Open: 44.17

Open: 69.43

Close: 46.52

Close: 47.42

Close: 69.46

This Co-Op Ghostbusting game with Luigi comes to the Switch.

The famous Life Sim finally makes a Switch Debut.

Alex and Steve from Minecraft join SSBU in this Direct.

9/20/2019

11/15/2019

9/3/2020

10/22/2020

Open: 49.38

Open: 47.7

Open: 71.15

Open: 67.30

Close: 49.26

Close: 47.42

Close: 70.1

Close: 66.99

The Nintendo Switch Lite goes on Sale.

A Duo of alternate Pokemon games comes to Switch.

A celebration of Mario's 35th Birthday with new games.

A Japan Exclusive NES game finally comes to the US on the Switch.

Bonus: Best Sel l i ng Sw i tch Games

Notes and Credi ts

Im age an d Col or Sou r ce: Nin ten do Stock s Data: Yah oo Fin an ce Nin ten do Dir ect Data: Nin ten do Im age Gen er ation Softwar e: Vectr ,Can va, an d Lu cidPr ess Oth er Gr aph ics: M atth ew Sh i an d Jam es Er vin

LoZ BotW : Legen d of Zel da: Br eath of th e W il d SM O: Su per M ar io Odyssey SM M 2: Su per M ar io M ak er 2 FE3H : Fir e Em bl em : Th r ee H ou ses ACNH : An im al Cr ossin g: New H or izon s NSM BU DX: New Su per M ar io Br os. U Del u xe LoZ: LA DX: Legen d of Zel da: Lin k 's Awak en in g DX

DKC:TF: Don k ey Kon g Cou n tr y: Tr opical Fr eeze PM S&S: Pok em on Swor d an d Sh iel d M +R:KB: M ar io+Rabbids: Kin gdom Battl e SSBU: Su per Sm ash Br os. Ul tim ate M K8DX: M ar io Kar t 8 Del u xe PM : LEGP&E: Pok em on : Let's Go Pik ach u an d Eevee SM P: Su per M ar io Par ty

"Sim pl y pu t, stock s ar e a way to bu il d weal th . Th ey ar e an in vestm en t th at m ean s you own a sh ar e in th e com pan y th at issu ed th e stock . Stock s ar e h ow or din ar y peopl e in vest in som e of th e m ost su ccessfu l com pan ies in th e wor l d. For com pan ies, stock s ar e a way to r aise m on ey to fu n d gr owth , pr odu cts an d oth er in itiatives." -Ner dwal l et.com

Graphics by Matthew Shi

Written by Matthew Shi

Every time someone opens a document that isn't directly saved onto a computer, they access a complex computer system known as the computer cloud, or the doorway into technology. Computers in modern-day society can solve thousands of problems. One attribute that makes this concept a possibility is the computer cloud, the virtual brain connecting millions of people through the usage of the internet. Instead of buying personal servers and databases, all of the files, documents, or videos are sent to a computer cloud. Used by people around the world, the computer cloud helps businesses, companies, and many others store data and files over the internet instead of their personal computer hard drive. Companies use the cloud for different reasons. Hospitals are using the cloud to create more personalized treatments for their patients and support newer healthcare apps while game developers use the cloud to create online games and spread them over the entire world. "As an engineer, the cloud does for us a lot of the operations we used to have to do just to set up and maintain server computers, databases etc.,? Bart Blancha, a SparkCognition employee said. ?

Now I can spend most of my time understanding what the user needs and building that, delegating the underlying infrastructure to the cloud. But, if used carelessly, it can quickly incur very high costs, and we must also be careful to ensure security and privacy. So, cloud computing is very powerful, but, as they say, ?With great power comes great responsibility.". There are many of jobs related to cloud computing. These jobs include software engineers, cloud engineers, and software architects. Blancha said, "In practical terms, technical fields are a great example of how hard work leads to success and a positive impact on people's lives. All fields of human endeavor bring the opportunity for success and positive impact, many perhaps much greater than technology. But the nice thing about STEM is, if you work hard and build a solid foundation of knowledge in math and science, that foundation will help you do well in any field.". The cloud isn't perfect though. Like everything else, the cloud also has some negative factors that cause people to lean the opposite direction. 30 Blancha said, "Number one concern in the cloud is security.

Graphics by Matthew Shi You trust the cloud with your information, but all bad guys in the world can try and break into your account and steal your information. The good thing is, security on the cloud has been greatly improved, and you don't hear much about break-ins the top cloud providers, it's actually more secure now than some non-cloud systems." However, getting a job and knowing a field are completely different. Patrick Shepard, a software

engineer at HPE said, "You should learn at least 2 programming languages. Python, Java, and C are just a couple examples. These will help you a lot in the future, especially in STEM jobs.". The cloud has two sections connected via a network or the internet, the front and back end. In broad terms, the front end is the input or what the client sees and connects with while the back end is the "cloud.? The back end consists of multiple computers,

servers, and data storage systems provided by a cloud provider. The central server keeps everything running correctly and runs off a set of rules called "protocols" that are then run off of middleware. Middleware allows computers to connect with each other virtually. Virtual data continues to cycle between the main server, the servers, the storage, and the computer network as people access and close the tabs consisting of that data. 3O

world, humanity's work is only getting easier. "When a public cloud service goes down, you hear about it, it affects a lot of software and thousands of users who depend on it." Blancha said, "It is important at any time as we rely on cloud computing and communications in more and more areas of life." Blancha said, "Cloud computing is a technical resource that increases by an order of magnitude how quickly and well engineers can build software, and also, how easily you can access useful software and computing power from any device in your everyday life." Products such as Google Home, Alexa, and Siri were presented in front of us using this technology. They combine both AI and cloud computing to bring information and connection to your location by simply saying a few words. The second they receive a voice command, they access the cloud, retrieve what they need, and return their output back to someone in voice form in a matter of

seconds. According to scientists, mathematicians, and physicists, AI could possibly out-smart inventors, out manipulate leaders, or even outsmart people. Shepard said, "Technically, AI is already smarter than humans. I'm sure you're aware of AIs capabilities. However, if you are asking whether or not AI could possibly overtake humans, I don't think so. AI only has the ability to learn more about things that we program it to learn.". Eventually, people must adapt and accept the fact that technology is only getting better and better. With the cloud connecting and helping more and more 32 people connect around the

Input The input to the cloud is exactly what it sounds like. It is what the employees or clients import into the cloud. Since the cloud is entirely virtual, input from one area can be stored on the complete other side of the world.

Graphics by Matthew Shi

Cloud Provider A cloud provider is a company that provides IT or information technology supplies like the cloud. By investing in these, companies save both physical space and mental by keeping the data connected virtually instead of physically.

Database/Storage

Computer Network

The storage of the cloud is the system that

The computer network is the system that uses

contains all the files, back-ups, and copies of

the computer cloud to connect multiple

the documents. If any documents

computers through the internet. These

happened to become corrupted or

are the systems that most people

destroyed, the cloud would be

in a workplace.

able to recover on of the files from the database.

The Main server

Servers are the

is the system that is

systems that let the

dedicated to managing

user access the cloud's

all network resources. Any other

data. These servers display

cloud sources will not and cannot

and run a users individual desktop.

effect the data inside the Main Server.

Main Server

Servers 33

Learni ng From th e Best How people can benefit from studying Technology Written by Leo Robles

Courtesy of sewickleylibrary.org

Technology has not always been as ubiquitous as it is today. It was an extra feature in someone?s life. As time went on, technology was being used in more jobs, in hospitals and many forms of entertainment, and it has become more and more inclusive to our everyday lives. It has become so central now, that everyone knows much more about how to use it than past generations ever have. That is why people keep learning more about technology and the benefits that can come from it. It is how they will impact our future generations. There is no doubt that technology has evolved a lot over time, and this means that there are more and more learning opportunities for students with all of the new advancements. ?We are

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology building. Courtesy of MIT

always updating curriculum to include new ways of thinking based on new things that are being invented,? Jonathan Regan-Kelly said, a professor in Computer science and Science engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). ?So just speaking about computer science in particular? the

way we teach people to program has evolved a lot over the last 40 years.? This allows for all new different types of jobs, learning, educating, and even entertainment for tech

" You can f in d gr eat in st r u ct ion an yw h er e" -Jon at h an Regan -Kelly graduates.

Front side of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Courtesy of MIT

In the great variety of jobs that there are, working at a simple programming position for example, can be a good one, and they don?t require a really advanced college degree. On the other hand, there are other professions that require a really advanced degree or level of understanding to be able to work there or solve problems efficiently. So if 3 5

Built in 1937, the tower at University of Texas, in Austin, served as a major symbol of academic excellence for many years. Photo by Leo Robles

people want a really high paying job and a really advanced technical position, they will probably need more experience in the subject they want to work in. ?Knowing smart people who are going to go on to be successful among your peer group is helpful,? Regan Kelly said. He also made the point that ?To be a software engineer for Google, you don't need a PhD, you can get that job with a bachelor 's degree? If you want to work in biomedicine for example, from what I?ve seen, it's hard

to get into a higher level Technology Integration at the technical position in that world University of Texas (UT). ?UT without doing a PhD.? Austin has an exceptional track record for technology There are many universities focused learning known for their technology careers such as Texas Tech, MIT, , but many universities that aren?t especially known for them can also have really good technology careers, according to Ian Campbell, who is the Director of

This is the field in front of the tower at the University of Texas. Photo by Leo Robles

opportunities,? Campbell said. This university is the ?premiere public higher education and research institution in Texas.? Technology colleges, having the more recognized technology programs, also have careers that have nothing to Statue of former governor, James S. Hogg do with technology, which Photo by Leo Robles gives people more Technology are finding that they a lot of things will work, and it variation and opportunities. are in demand in every will give them an advantage in Regan-Kelly said the industry. Whether you want to today?s world which is full of economics department at develop software that powers technology. This is why people MIT specifically, ?Is one of successful businesses, design a keep learning and finding new the two best econ hot new mobile phone app, or things about technology. It is (economics) departments in create digital effects for how the world will be able to the world,? which is a good blockbuster films, specialized evolve. example of this. computing skills will be According to indispensable. In studying this, Collegechoice.net, People people also develop other skills, who study Computers and such as logical reasoning and an understanding of the coding and machinery in different devices. By studying technology people can get the expertise, University of Texas at Austin. The UT tower is the tall one in the and get a 38 middle. broader understanding of how Courtesy of the University of Texas

Top Technolo Texas Tech Opened on February 10th, 1923, in Lubbock, Texas, by legislative action, and was originally called Texas Technological colleges.It's in the top 50 universities in the nation.

MIT opened on April 10th, 1861, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, two days before the start of the civil war. It was founded b William Barton Rogers.

Stanford University opened on October 1st, 1891 in a stock farm in Palo Alto, California. It was founded by Leland and Jane Stanford in memory of their only child, Leleand Stanford Jr., who passes away on March 18th, 1884. 38

ogy Colleges The University of California was opened on March 23, 1868, and was founded by Frederick Low. It first operated in Oakland, before moving to Berkeley in 1873.

Founded by Gabriel Richard, the University of Michigan was opened on August 26, 1817. It was first located in Detroit, before being moved to Anne Arbor.

In 1929, Colonel Nathaniel Rochester established this university in the current Rochester, New York. It didn't develop the name Rochester Institute of Technology until 1944. 40