Accessibility

In this modern age, cell phone accessibility is reaching new heights. Countries that never had the fiscal ability to have cell phones are now getting them. The Egyptian revolutions was fueled by cell phones. The Egyptian government blocked many forms of mass communication, so the revolutionaries took to Twitter. The individuals were able to send text messages to Twitter which were subsequently posted on their accounts giving locations of protests and meetings. It gave people a sense of community and belonging in an oppressive government. As things get more advanced and as more countries get access to mobile phones and social media I think this is a trend we can expect to continue.

App review: Waze

The app I chose to review is Waze. Waze is a crowdsourced GPS app that takes information from users to update the best route possible. In a town like Pullman, this app doesn't have much use, but in cities like Seattle where traffic is insufferable, it comes in very handy. When I am in Seattle I always use Waze, even if I know where I am going. Waze knows where traffic is, it knows exactly how slow the traffic is going, and it knows how long it will take you to get through it, and it knows alternate routes. Other users also update where roads are closed, where there is construction, where there are red light cameras and speed traps, and where cops are hiding out. It has become a must-have app for anyone who lives in a metropolitan area.