RYAN HYNES ae@technewsiit.com

TechNews I Tuesday, March 6, 2012

 

New experiences in the Windy City: A week in review

By Mike Purdy
OPINION EDITOR & DISTRIBUTION MANAGER

I find that it is often times necessary
in life to change things up a bit. Whether
that involves creating a new routine,
going somewhere you have never been, or
experiencing life from a different angle;
spontaneity is key, and Chicago provides a
near—perfect backdrop for such endeavors.

Life moves at a fast pace in the “Windy
City”, where a multitude of interesting people
and unique experiences await those who
seek them. This reality can appear seemingly
distant to a student at IIT, who may find it
easy to fall into the doldrums of an eat—sleep—
study sort of routine. Whenever I find myself
in this funk, I have discovered that the best
medicine is a jaunt (or many jaunts for that
matter) into the heart of the city in hopes of
a rejuvenated outlook and a taste of the real
world. Last week presented many opportunities
for me to hit the town, so I decided to do just
that, and, although my studies were neglected
just a tad, it was ultimately well worth it.

Here is a brief review of my week of
experiences, many of them new, in the
arts and entertainment arena of Chicago:

After a brutal Monday, my ventures began
Tuesday afternoon at the Field Museum of
natural history. General admission was free,
which definitely aided my decision, but I had
always been drawn to this museum due to its
sheer immensity, abundance of rare artifacts,
and its highly professional and informative

displays. I was only able to stay at the museum
for about two hours, which gave me just enough
time to walk through the “Ancient Americas”
exhibit; a permanent section of the museum
devoted to charting evolutionary and societal
change and progress throughout North and
South America. I felt like a kid again amongst
the grand showcases of ancient civilizations;
from simple hunter—gatherer villages to the
towering Aztec empire, it was truly an awesome
exhibit. I could have easily spent the whole
day at the Field Museum, and I will surely be
back soon to wander through more exhibits
and gain a greater appreciation for history.
I recommend this experience to anyone!

Tuesday night culminated with a trip to
my first Bulls game, which was a long—overdue
item on my Chicago to—do list. Aside from the
pattering rain and biting winds, the trip to the
United Center went smoothly. The high—energy
atmosphere within the arena was engulfing, but
that was to be expected from the nearly 21,000
fans who had come to see the home team put a
thrashing to the visiting New Orleans Hornets.
Although most of us in attendance thought a
blowout was imminent, the Hornets kept it close
throughout, and it proved to be quite a contest.

There didn’t seem to be a bad seat in the
house, and it was awesome to feel so close to the
action of an NBA game, which usually appear
to be much slower—paced when viewed on
television. With the score deadlocked at 95 with
under a minute to go, Derrick Rose hit a fade—
away jumper as the shot clock expired, clinching
the victory for the Bulls and sending the crowd
into euphoria. It was a great experience, and

one that I will be repeating in the near future.

On Friday night, I had the sudden
opportunity to attend the Zeds Dead concert
at Congress Theatre. I immediately jumped on
this offer, because all of my past experiences
at Congress, including Rusko and MSTKRFT,
had been a blast. For those of you who have
yet to attend an electronic music concert
in Chicago, I would definitely recommend
it; the music is intense, the crowd is wild,
and you can dance to your heart’s desire.

The lineup for this particular concert
was a steal for the low ticket price of only
$20; with Midnight Conspiracy, a well—known
Chicago dubstep duo to start things off,
followed by electronic artist Dillon Francis,
and finally capped off with Zeds Dead, a
talented electro group touring out of Toronto.
The theatre was filled to the brim, mostly
comprised of college—aged fanatics of dubstep,
a music genre which has absolutely boomed
in Chicago over the past few years. I emerged
from the concert with my ears ringing, shirt
drenched in sweat, and carefree as could be
in the face of a chilly Chicago night; that is
the power of live music at Congress Theatre.

With the arrival of Saturday evening came
a new window of opportunity in the realm
of music. Completely opposite my previous
experience from the night before, I was now
dressed in formal attire, sitting in the main
theater at 220 S. Michigan Avenue, awaiting the
start of my first Chicago Symphony Orchestra
experience. As a brotherhood development
event, my fraternity had purchased a number
of tickets to the CS0, so I figured I would

tag along for a bit of classical immersion.
Contrary to the 19—20 year old crowd at Zeds
Dead, the average age of a CSO audience
member was probably around 65, but that is
to be expected. Performing at this particular
orchestra outing were conductor Jonathan
Nott, pianist Pierre—Laurent Aimard, vocalists
Michelle DeYoung and Stuart Skelton, and of
course the accompanying orchestra ensemble.

The concert proved to be much more
powerful than I had anticipated, and gave new
meaning to the term perfection; there was true
beauty emanating from the chorus of strings,
horns, and voices. I felt as though I had gone
from poor college student to a member of
high—society in that one hour period, and the
music led me down some lines of thought I
had previously left unimagined. It was a good
test of patience, and an even better outlet for
relaxation — I would certainly attend another
of these performances if given the chance.

As my time in college quickly rolls by, I
have made it a priorityto engage in as many new,
exciting, and educational experiences as I can,
and so should you. When else will we get the
chance to roam freely throughout a world—class
city any day of the week and enjoy all that it has
to offer? Of course, school comes first, but with
the proper time—management skills, any student
can turn a dull week into something which far
exceeds the limitations previously established.

There are still so many things I hope
to do while here in Chicago, especially once
the warm weather rolls around. Until then,
it’s back to the grind, always with an eye
out for those spontaneous opportunities.

 

Images courtesy 0ftimes0nline.com,fieldmuseum.0rg, & buckoclown.blogsp0t.com

 

[nology] % :
iPad 3 leaks, rumors suggest March unveiling

By Swasti Khuntia
LAYOUT EDITOR

Apple’s iPad is one of the best—selling
tablets in the world, and the iPad 3 is one of
the most anticipated devices from the company
this year. The upcoming iPad 3 has been a main
topic for discussion recently after learning that
Apple is set to present it at an event during the
first week of March. While the rumor mill has
been working overtime, a few reporters were
able to get hands—on time with some actual iPad

3 parts, confirming recent speculation about
higher resolution and an upgraded chip system.

This article explains some of the new
features that are to be included in the iPad 3.
In a nutshell, the Apple iPad 3 is expected to
look very similar to the iPad 2, with the same
9.7—inch screen and shape. However, the iPad
3’s higher resolution seems to be the hot topic
related to the new device, setting it apart from
its predecessor. Apart from that, the iPad 3 will
have a lighter battery, reducing the weight of the
tablet. However, the battery is reported to cost
20 to 30 percent more than the current iPad’s
battery, and will also have a longer battery life.

It is also expected that the iPad 3 will have a
wireless charging technology, which will be able
to charge the battery and transfer data wirelessly.

There isn’t any official word from Apple on
when the iPad 3 will be released; however, rumors
indicate that it will be announced sometime in
March. One of the major reasons why the
launch of the device has been delayed is due
to the Retina Display technology. It is also said
that it could be delayed because of legal issues
with one of Apple’s main suppliers, Samsung.

Boy Genius Report claimed a source
had an iPad 3 prototype, and sent the tech
site various development images that reveal

more information about the device and its
components. Meanwhile, Amazon added
two iPad 3 books to its European site — Ipad
3 pour les nuls, or iPad 3 for Dummies in
French, and Auf die Schnelle iPad 3, which
is German for iPad 3 on the Fly, according
to a report from GameZone.com. iPad 3 for
Dummies is scheduled to be published on
March 29. However, Bloomberg recently
reported that the next—generation iPad will be
faster — running on a quad—core chip — feature
a high—definition screen and be compatible with
long—term evolution (LTE), a wireless network
that gives users access to data more quickly.