Clamshell Packaging

            At one point or another, we have all came across this miserable idea of “clamshell packaging.” Clamshell packaging is everywhere. From everyday items to children’s toys, electronic devices to kitchen tools, I find it absurd that anyone would think this style of packaging isn’t a crime. Clamshell packaging is impossible to open by hand. People resort to sharp objects or even biting (in my case), which doesn’t always end well for my teeth. The smart way to open this package is with scissors, however, even then there comes to be massive hand-shredding chunks of plastic that are left sticking out of every angle. With your bleeding hands and sore mouth you say to yourself, why on earth would anyone design packaging that’s impossible to open?

            Clamshell packaging is supposed to prevent a thing called “package pilferage.” This is a crime when small, relatively expensive objects are removed from their outside packaging and stolen. By implementing this idea of “clamshell packaging,” it makes it impossible to open anything with less than a machete. This, in turn makes shoplifting harder. I’m all for this when packaging an expensive product because I too, would not want my product/merchandise to be stolen off of shelves. However, what about the inexpensive objects that are clamshell packaged? I’m talking about the products like the pens in this above picture. Is it really necessary for the seller to have this kind of item packaged in a way that is impossible for the consumer to open? There has to be a point where the consumer won’t even purchase the product because they already know the battle they would enter themselves into. For example, let’s say there exists a package of pens wrapped in clamshell packaging and a package of pens wrapped in soft plastic right next to each other. Personally, I know I’m automatically reaching for the ones with the easy-to-open packaging. Why risk shredding my hands on opening a package of pens when I can just purchase a pack of the same pens without the hassle of dealing with the tight wrapping. It’s common sense to me.

            On top of all of the problems clamshell packaging proposes, I did some research and found out that many clamshell packages are made with PVC and PET. PVC is a harmful plastic that is very difficult to breakdown. What about PET you ask? Well, PET could be replaced by recycled PET to reduce cost and waste. So, if using this type of plastic contributes to a more environmentally wasteful lifestyle, why do we continue to use it, especially for the inexpensive products such as pens? I ask myself this question over and over again but can’t seem to find an answer.

Keurig K45 Elite Brewing System

                         

                    According to www.statisticbrain.com, it is said that about 54% of Americans over the age of 18 drink coffee everyday. This is a crazy statistic to think about because it doesn’t even include how many cups of coffee these people are consuming. Obviously, there are people who drink one cup of coffee but I can bet you that a majority of these people drink more than that. People can become reliant on caffeine, especially hearing that 18 billion dollars a year is spent on coffee. I’m happy to say that coffee hasn’t sucked me in…just yet.
                    I like to drink coffee every now and then but not daily. When I do choose to start my day off with a cup, I’m happy to say that I use my brand new Keurig K45 Elite Brewing System. This product is very ideal. I kept looking to find a poor feature of this invention but I failed in doing so. Keurig has my bid and I’m sure many others as well. I’ve done my research and avid coffee drinkers rely on three main aspects for their brewing products. These include speed, simplicity and taste.

                   The Keurig K45 Elite Brewing System delivers a brewed cup of coffee in under a minute. For those who are pressed for time, this speed is ideal. How about simplicity? Well, Keurig systems are one-touch operated machines. With just the click of a button you can be on your way to a caffeine-filled morning. To add to that, unlike traditional drip coffee makers, which require users to pour loose grounds into a filter basket, users install a small sealed cup that contains both a filter and coffee grounds. Cleanup literally consists of taking the kcup out of the machine and tossing it in the trash. Taste? That’s easy. Currently, there are over 170 varieties of coffee and tea available for Keurig coffee makers, and this number will only continue to grow over time. To add to that, depending upon cup contents and machine model, users can brew coffee, tea, hot cocoa, espresso, and iced beverages. The Keurig K45 Elite Brewing System allows for this.
                     This is one of the most basic Keurig models, so it is also among the most affordable options. You would think that the features for this product may end there, however, quiet brew technology ensures that the machine is extremely quiet throughout the brewing cycle. As you can see there are countless reasons to invest into this machine, especially if you are an avid coffee drinker. I myself am not a consistent coffee drinker but still think this machine has paid for itself, and then some. I highly recommend this product to even the occasional coffee consumer.  

The Infamous Juice Container

                    I think it’s borderline impossible to look at the picture above without remembering those epic battles you fought when you were in elementary school. This design was supposed to make opening a milk/chocolate milk/juice container fairly simple, however, I think the designers failed to realize that the term “usable” was also included in the features of good design. I’m certain that anyone who has came in contact with one of these containers knows the struggle of pushing the corners of the opening back, pulling the center, but not being able to pour out what’s inside.

                     This picture above has me reminiscing my childhood when I’d be sitting at the lunch table looking like the dork who couldn’t open his juice container. “No everyone, it’s the container not me.” I promise you when I looked for my milk or juice, I was feeling every possible container for the stiffest and sturdiest structure. I dread to remember those days where I was stuck with those soggy containers that I would have to perform an operation on just to quench my thirst.  I don’t know if it was the lunch ladies leaving the containers in ice until the ice turned to water, or if it was just that bad of a design. Although, I can’t even blame the designers for this because my school and I’m sure every other elementary school in the country were the ones keeping them in business!
                     You would think that this design wouldn’t be too much of a problem, but even till this day I have trouble with it. For every three containers I open, one of them decides to fight back. Sometimes I’ll have to use some sort of tool to pry it open and other times the thing will rip open and half the juice will end up on my clothes. I have my little cousin entering into elementary school this year and I say prayers hoping he’s not the laughing stock of the cafeteria.    

Apple iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus

                   Apple did it again. Just when I thought an iPhone couldn’t get any smaller or techier, I was proved wrong with the new iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 plus. These new mobile devices are unbelievable. The features aren’t too big of a change from the iPhone 5 and iPhone 5c; however, I would look into these new tweaks they made. I can guarantee you that you may second-guess your decision on which one of these four iPhones you should purchase.

                  Being the person that I am, I personally would go for the iPhone 6 plus. Yes, it is the most costly but the improved features are just what the iPhone 5 and iPhone 5c needed. With higher resolution displays, up to 128 GB of storage, Apple Pay (the new pay with your phone service) and optical image stabilization, the iPhone 6 plus blows by the other 3 phones with ease. This is without mention of the longer battery life lasting you about 80 hours of audio, 14 hours of video, up to 24 hours talk time over 3G and 16 days of standby. These are only some of the new features this iPhone has to offer. Of these features, the two I would like to talk about are the enhancement in battery life, as well as the new addition of the feature called Apple Pay.

                  Apple Pay is an easy, secure and private way to pay on the go. The times have changed. Walking around with bulky wallets, losing credit cards, looking for the right credit cards, and swiping and waiting are all put to an end with this new way of payment. With this new feature, payments can happen with a single touch. I know it sounds crazy but this is a step into the future and Apple was the first to make the move. Why am I not surprised?
                  The second feature I was very happy to see was the increase in battery life. I’m tired of walking around with my iPhone charger, having my brightness on low and turning on airplane mode when I’m not using my phone. It’s such a pain in the butt. My iPhone 5’s battery won’t last me a full day and I don’t even use it often. I feel like every time I look down at my phone it has lost another 10% of battery life. This was one of the changes I was looking forward to and I’m glad Apple pulled through for me.

Move Theater Armchairs

                     Everyone no matter where you are from, has been to the movie theaters. If you told me you haven't ever been inside of a movie theater, I would tell you straight to your face that you are lying. Now, I'm hoping that when I say the word "armchairs," everyone will have the same opinion about them. Yes, armchairs at your local movie theater may be comfortable, they may lean back far enough to where you are basically laying down, but one thing they all have in common is the same problem. This problem is the four arms and three arm rests problem.
                     Whenever I go to the movies, whether it's with my family or friends, I always seem to be the one stuck next to the stranger. I'm not saying this is a bad thing, that's just the way it is. On one side of me I'll have someone I am familiar with and on the other side of me I'll be next to a person I've never met before. Now, I'm not an awkward person but when that stranger and I both go for that single armrest between us, there is an awkward moment of who's going to claim their territory and who's going to be the one to back down. I hate this. The last thing I want to do is buy my ticket for a movie and sit there uncomfortably for the full two hours. There is no convenient place to put that arm beside right smack dab on that armrest.
                    On the other side of me, it's easy to cooperate with the person next to me because I know them. We can work things out by saying something like, "you know, I'll take the front of the armrest and you can have the back." That side with the stranger though, that side is just complete chaos. If I happen to win that battle for the armrest, count on me never getting up. If I have to go to the bathroom then I suck it up. If I need something to eat then I fight through the two hours starving. Why, you ask? Well, one thing is for sure, if I get up from my seat at any point of the movie then the game is over. I lost. I know if I leave my seat I'll come right back to that stranger sitting comfortably on MY armrest, spread eagle. This is a terrible design of a chair. Off the top of my head the only solution I can think of is to make the armrests in the movie theater thicker. It may cost the designer a few extra bucks, but for the consumer it is worth it. Please, all I ask is for these people to take this problem into consideration. Maybe I'll even be making some more trips to the movies.

Apple Headphones

                    I'm a huge fan of Apple. I can't count on my hands how many items I've bought an item from them over the past two years. That sounds like a good statistic, however, I'm not sure if it actually is. The reason I've purchased so many items from Apple in the past two years is simple; the Apple headphones for the iPhone 4 and iPhone 5 are poorly designed. So to answer the question you were going to ask, yes, I've bought countless Apple iPhone headphones recently.
                    I can't pinpoint the actual design problem of the headphones. I've had a couple pairs just terminate on me. Sometimes one headphone will lose sound and other times both will go kaput on me. I'm not looking for high-quality headphones but I am just asking for some durable headphones that can last me at least a full year. I understand that it is not economically feasible for the company to spend extra money on the headphones because then the price of the product would drive up. Maybe that's why I keep going back to Apple myself. The headphones are cheap enough to last me a couple of months while also getting the job done when I need them. I go to the gym almost everyday so why would I want to spend the extra money on high-quality headphones? At any moment I can drop a weight on them.
                    It's smart of Apple to maximize their profits this way but I won't let them off the hook that easy. Thank you Apple for designing the iPhone 5 headphones to go inside the ear. This was very helpful for me but what you guys didn't seem to change was the audio quality. When I make the music through my headphones loud, the vocals become fuzzy. Not to mention I get these dirty looks because all of the people around me can hear my music just as clearly, or unclearly in this case, as I can. I too would be upset if my peace/privacy was invaded, however, with these headphones it's tough to hear the music without having the people around you listen in too. Again, I just want to be clear. I'm not totally knocking the iPhone 4 and iPhone 5 headphones completely because I keep going back for one reason or another. All I ask is for Apple to step up their game a little bit. I understand people aren't buying the iPhones for the headphones but to me, and I'm sure a lot of other people, it's a very important part of the purchase.