Ryan Neman, Marijuana Vending Machines

http://www.click2houston.com/health/15173267/detail.html

Medicinal marijuana has gotten a lot of hype in recent years. It’s interesting how the federal government makes weed illegal and clinics respond by putting weed in vending machines. Although I’m a little hesitant to the idea of getting weed as easily as getting a bag of chips, I think this vending machine is a smart idea for people who actually need marijuana. It’s faster, cheaper, and more convenient for the consumers than going to the clinic. The fingerprint identification reduces the risk of people using other people’s cards and the security guard is there to watch out for theft. On the supply side, it’s much cheaper to install a machine and hire only a security guard than open up a clinic. It’s also much safer for the workers who risk getting in trouble if there’s a raid.
On the other hand, there are people who have club cards that don’t use marijuana for medicinal purposes. I’m talking about drug dealers. In this case the new vending machine is bad because all it does is give them a convenient way to get the pot at a much cheaper price. Also, even if people do need weed medically, an ounce a week seems like a lot. The machine might lead to patients abusing the their privilege because of the convenience. It’s similar to me spending my entrée plus money at vending machines (kinda…maybe not), it’s just a swipe of a card.
Although there are many positives and negatives to the vending machine, I do think that it will last because of the cost efficiency on both sides of the market. The clinics like it, the consumers like it, and the state of government supports it. The only objections are the federal government and the people who are against medicinal marijuana in the first place.

Bluetooth Prosthetic Legs – Tarin Krzywosinski

http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/01/25/bluetooth.legs/index.html

Today technology is absolutely amazing and things that were once unimaginable are now happening.  I remember when I was younger, my mom and dad had cell phones that were the size of my entire hand if not bigger. CD players were a big hit 5 years ago and now we have IPODs that hold over 1,000 songs. Laptops were huge and bulky, now we have Macs that are the size of a spiral bound notebook. One no longer has to be near a plug or phone jack because of wireless internet. These are just a few of the many developments that have occurred throughout our lifetime. I think about all of these things, and I realize how far and how fast technology has advanced in the last couple years.  Technology has greatly helped society as a whole, and it will continue to progress in the years to come. Everyday someone is thinking up a new concept or building some type of electronic device that can facilitate our lives. Not only has technology increased our options for luxuries, it has helped many in the medical field. Bluetooth’s prosthetic legs changed marine Lance Cpl. Joshua Bleill’s life. Could you imagine going off to war in Iraq, only to return home helpless without your legs? I couldn’t even begin to think how difficult life would be without my legs. Although this is really devastating, those who are put in this situation adapt over time. Companies like Bluetooth have restored hope to amputee victims who thought they may never walk again. Now the victims can have legs, ones with batteries and sensors instead of nerves and bones. I mean, having a pair of legs that you can charge overnight like a cell phone is pretty amazing. What comes next? What else can technology do for us as a society?  Bluetooth is a company who has contributing something other than just cell phones to our society. Are other major technological companies doing the same? Corporations with the resources to work on these types of projects should continue to try to make new developments in technology. There are an infinite amount of opportunities in this field, and I am interested to see what is going to be invented within the next few years.