What's Going on with Apple?

There's a lot happening right now for Apple Inc. The company is constantly in the news, it seems, with the unveiling of two new phones and operating systems, as well as new laptops and iPads. There have also been significant price cuts and rumors of poor sales all within the last few weeks. So...this week I thought I could talk about a couple of the major headlines concerning Apple.

The age of the iPod seems to be over
The original iPod is officially 12 years old as of this week. There have been 24 different versions of the device, but we haven't seen a new one in over a year. According to this article from The Huffington Post, Apple has not responded to questions about the future of the iPod, but by the way it looks, it's not great. In the last few years, as smartphones have gotten "smarter," the need for a music player has become absent. Our smartphones do everything; we don't need an MP3 player or an iPod. iTunes is accessible on our phones and computers. 

iOS 7 isn't everyone's favorite
The launch of a completely redesigned operating system had Apple users almost frantic. Many experienced technical difficulties once they installed iOS 7 and there were complaints about the appearance of the update. Some experienced problems simply installing iOS 7. Though there are many good features of the new OS, articles like this one, help users get past some of the update's worst glitches and issues.

The new phones aren't selling
The "cheap" iPhone, which isn't really that cheap hasn't been selling well for Apple. The iPhone 5C is essentially the same as the 2012 iPhone, the iPhone 5, but with a colorful plastic shell. Though Apple has had good sales on the iPhone 5S, which boasts new features like a fingerprint scanner, the 5C doesn't seem to be hitting it with Apple users. This doesn't look good as Apple continues its' power struggle with other phone companies like Samsung.

Should we worry about seeing the end of Apple? Apple is well established and iconic, but seems to be in a rut lately. Since the death of Apple founder, Steve Jobs in October 2011, many have wondered what would happen to the company. Should we expect the worst?

Identity Crisis

The news has been buzzing over the last few days about Minnesota Viking's star Adrian Peterson's 2-year-old son's death. The boy passed on Friday after his mother's boyfriend reportedly assaulted him. Originally reported as a medical emergency, the Sioux Falls Police Department quickly determined that the boy's injuries were not accidental.

Police arrested Joseph Robert Patterson, 27, who was initially charged with aggravated assault and aggravated assault on an infant. His bond was set at $750,000 in cash before the boy's death.

According to several sources, including USA Today Sports, Patterson has a prior domestic abuse record with a different woman and child.

AP made statements Friday that the boy was his son, but not Adrian Peterson Jr., a rumor that began circulating. AP told the press he would play in Sunday's game against the Panthers. According to CNN, he also adamantly requested that his privacy be respected.

The child victim, originally thought to be AP Jr., has been identified as the "fruit of a casual relationship" previously unknown to the press. However, "memorial" photos of AP Jr. quickly spread over social media. According to several sources and news blogs, the child's existence was only recently brought to AP's attention. TMZ reported that AP met the child for the first time while the boy was on life support.

Black Sports Online, among many other news sites attempted to clear up the confusion, as well as AP himself via his social media accounts.

Aside from the fact that a child was killed in this event, which is incredibly tragic, I feel that one of the most unfortunate aspects is the complete invasion of privacy from the public via their social media. People mindlessly tweeted photos of AP Jr., a child that is alive and well. Several photos of him and his football star father were tweeted and posted, featuring the child with angel wings and “RIP” messages. Users did not take into consideration the facts of this story—did not even bother to fact-check at all, and as a result, falsely posted information about this little boy.

It just goes to show that people should CHECK THEIR SOURCES. While the confusion between the boys is understandable as they are very close in age, several news sites had already reported very quickly on Friday that AP Jr. was not the victim of Patterson’s abuse.