On August 12, violent protests broke out between anti-racism groups and white supremacist/Nazi groups in Charlottesville, VA in response to the vote to remove the statue of Robert E Lee. Lee was a general in the Civil War over 150 years ago who had supported slavery and had owned slaves himself—a fact which had prompted the vote to remove the statue. Nazi groups felt that the removal of the statue would be an attack on the white race. Donald Trump has never been one to withhold his opinions of those he opposes—whether that be a popular US news network or a minority group, he’s usually the first to share his outlook, no matter how incoherent it might be. However, in the face of neo-Nazi’s who marched through the streets carrying flaming torches, screaming racial remarks and setting upon their opponents, Trump was quiet and failed to denounce one particular group on such actions. Instead, Trump tweeted “hatred, bigotry and violence on many sides” should be condemned. Trump was quickly—and rightly—criticized by Democrat and Republican leaders as well as the American people.

The question at hand is why would Trump fail to condemn the white supremacists who have been identified as the antagonist figure in what is unquestionably an act of terror? Had this protest been carried out by the African-American community it’s hard to imagine Trump not launching a full-scale attack. Simply put, these are his supporters, and he knows he needed them before, and he will more than likely need them again. Who else is going to go out of their way to protest his possibly imminent impeachment over his campaign’s allegiance with the Russian government while he ran for president? These protesters have cited Trump as part of their motivation for the demonstrations. Videos on social media show—without a shadow of doubt—protesters walking through the street exclaiming “Hail Trump” while sporting what could be little else than a Nazi salute.

Republican senator Cory Gardner of Colorado tweeted: “Mr President—we must call evil by its name. These were white supremacists and this was domestic terrorism.”

By failing to condemn white supremacists, Trump has aligned himself with these figures of racism and hatred. The events displayed have largely been condemned not to reflect American values. In a further tweet, Trump described the events as “Sad!”—but once again, did not blame a particular group of figures.

Mathew Heimbach of the neo-Nazi Traditionalist Worker party spoke out saying “It’s the first president I’ve ever seen that wouldn’t just outright condemn. [He] said that there were many sides in the equation.”

When Trump fails to stand against those who say diversity is just another word for white genocide, he quietly aligns himself towards them. If these groups even have the smallest belief that the sitting president is willing to support and turn a blind eye to these actions, he’s in fact allowing such events—which saw a woman killed and dozens more injured—to happen. If domestic terrorists (yes, let’s call them what they are) are able to recognise Trump’s unwillingness to condemn white supremacists, then we are in danger of more travesties such as the protest in Charlottesville taking place. We are also encouraging far-right Trump supporters who may hold views of racism and bigotry more quietly to come forward and form active protest against the rights and freedoms of American’s of all races, sexualities, genders and religions.

We live in an era where a president is willing to threaten nuclear strikes over twitter, speak out against nations callously without planning and use personal attacks as a means to boost his own brand (and make no mistake, he has created a brand). When a man as loud and audacious as Trump remains cautious with his words during the one time he needs to be heard to condemn white supremacists—then frankly, he has never been more deafening.

You might also enjoy: America’s Regression Under Trump: The Banning of Transgender People in the American Military 

The post Trump Fails to Condemn White Supremacists appeared first on College News.

Donald Trump has been known to lie. Point in fact. But as more Trump scandals begin to unfold and as the shadow of his lies grow over his administration, Trump finds himself the center of further backlash.

Trump’s tweets on Wednesday afternoon declared that “After consultation with my Generals and military experts, please be advised that the United States Government will not accept or allow…. Transgender individuals to serve in any capacity in the U.S. Military. Our military must be focused on decisive and overwhelming… victory and cannot be burdened with the tremendous medical costs and disruption that transgender in the military would entail. Thank you”.

Needless to say, few thanked him back.

In a time where countries across the globe have lifted restrictions on the LGBTQ community, including Angela Merkel—the German Chancellor—who, despite her own personal views, has acknowledged the movement the world is undergoing and accepted the democratic decision of her country. Trump however seems keen to ignore the forward momentum America once had—was there still prejudice? yes, of course; the Orlando shooting was proof of that. The support for the victims was immense and the stand of government officials around the country made against this shooting was profound.

A mass outcry has been caused by Trump’s latest policy change in the banning of transgender people in the American military due to his beliefs that the “overwhelming medical costs” and “disruptions that the transgender military would entail.” Beyond the fact Trump still can’t write well-formulated sentences, this kind of action creates a stigma between the right to serve and the right to be free to choose your gender identity.  Such a notion may fly free with the president’s supporters who likely joined the Trump bandwagon hoping for such ideas to be passed. But as to how it represents America as a whole; a culture that has pushed for a more equal, embracing country is now being setback thanks to the ideological beliefs of a hypocrite.

Further to Trump’s tweets banning transgender people in the American military, Wednesday also saw The Department of Justice (DOJ) state that the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964 offers no protection from discrimination based on sexual orientation. DOJ lawyers, arguing under Attorney General Jeff Sessions, submitted the brief to the US Court of Appeals in which they said the department did not believe the law—which bans discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex or national origin—applied to lesbian and gay people.

LGBTQ advocacy groups swiftly objected to such a stance, having already had to make a strong objection to Trump’s tweets on the same day. The American Civil Liberties Union called the DOJ’s position “one more gratuitous and extraordinary attack on LGBT people’s civil rights,” and said it would defend Americans’ rights in the courts. 

Why are such policies being both suggested and passed? Is this really just Trump and his administration’s mind-set in general or is there an articulated plan? One theory suggests that Trump’s overall goal is to undo most of the policies Obama put in place—including allowing transgender American’s to join military service. Trump has been open about his intentions to repeal and replace Obama Care and has been fighting to get such an action in place since the start of his term as president. But is that enough? Is simply undoing a presidency he views to be backwards enough to justify setting the rights and lives of actual Americans back?

The answer to the above is clearly no; Trump’s justifications thus far seem weak at best. The Washington Post was quick to point out that the US military spends almost $42 million a year on the erectile dysfunction medication Viagra—several times the total projected cost of transgender medical support. There has yet to be a clear statement beyond Trump’s tweets to what this new “ban” may entail and how it’s going to be put in motion. Big ideas however can still provoke reactions: the very fact a sitting president can declare such motions seemingly so flippantly is easy to provoke his supporters to incite hate crime—much in the same way it did when Trump first declared his travel ban.

Sergeant Ken Ochoa, a transgender serving American man said, “It was heart-breaking, my stomach dropped” upon seeing Trump’s tweets but noted, “I don’t even know if I can [continue serving]… It just seems like chaos, so many unknowns.” The Department of Defense has referred all questions on the banning of transgender people in the American military to The White House stating new information will be available soon. As of yet, press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders has yet to make a statement—instead saying “I would imagine the Department of Defense will be the lead on that”.

Trump’s stance during his campaign outwardly portrayed him in favor of supporting the LGBTQ people of America.  Such actions seem to once again suggest Trump was lying or he has just forgotten what the T stands for. Trump has seemingly overlooked—or does simply not understand—the bravery that’s not only required to enlist and to “come out” and outwardly express the gender that transgender people identify with. The combination of these two elements is surely exactly the kind of attributes that should be in the armed services. But then, this is nothing new for Trump; he chooses power of bravery—favoring being the loudest voice rather the logical voice. Trans men and women have the right to choose to fight for their country and themselves everyday—Trump however chooses to demonize those who make choices far more courageous than he could ever even contemplate. The true mark of a coward is someone who belittles and represses that which he does not understand—a statement that could be put to almost any of Trump’s policies and views.

America cannot be seen as Great Again when it’s leader is controlled by a fear of progression.

Let College News know your thoughts on the banning of transgender people in the American military.

Further reading: Transgender Americans Will No Longer Be Allowed to Serve in the Military

The post America's Regression Under Trump: The Banning of Transgender People in the American Military appeared first on College News.

In an unexpected announcement Wednesday morning Donald Trump declared via his Twitter account that the transgender community will no longer be able to enlist in the American military services. Stating that the United States Government would no longer “allow or accept” transgender individuals, his tweets seem to indicate this new legislation will be taking immediate effect.

The policy is estimated to affect between around 15,500 people according to statistics put together by a UCLA School of Law Survey. There are currently 1.3 million active-duty personnel in the US military and an additional 800,000 in reserves.

These events unfold as Congress is considering a bill to recall the Obama-era practice of requiring the Pentagon to pay for medical treatment related to gender transition.

At the time of writing, CNN are reporting that The Pentagon “didn’t know anything about” the decision to ban transgender Americans from serving in the American military. The NBC reported that The Senate Armed Services Committee was not briefed in advance of the White House announcing its new policy on transgender individuals. Several other high-ranking officials have criticized Trump—who is well-known for dodging military service himself. Is he now chastising those who many would consider much braver than himself?

Mr. Trump took to his personal Twitter as apposed to the official @POTUS account to make the declaration and has since been widely criticized by a number of individuals and groups. The American Civil Liberties Union said transgender members of the military deserve better and Ben Cardin, a Democrat senator for Maryland said, “This legalises discrimination…we should be focused instead on winning wars”.

Chelsea Manning—possibly the world’s most well-known transgender soldier, who was released from prison for leaking documents to WikiLeaks—called the move “Cowardice”.

What are your thoughts on Trump’s declaration that transgender Americans will no longer be allowed ro servie in the American Military? Let College News know.

Further reading: The Redesigned LGBTQ Flag

The post Transgender Americans Will No Longer Be Allowed to Serve in the Military appeared first on College News.

Picking your college course can be difficult, I’m sure you remember. But for some, the search can take a bizarre turn—have you ever wondered how to be a wizard, or desperately needed to know the historical significance of Miley Cyrus? No? Well, we promise that some people do. College News takes a look at the top 10 weirdest college classes.

Demystifying the Hipster

We’ve all seen a hipster, heck, maybe you are a hipster—but have you ever considered what it means to be labeled one? One of our weirdest college classes has. Demystifying the Hipster seeks to explore the definitions, debates and history of the hipster so you can have a greater understanding of their identity and culture.

Tree Climbing

No, really. If you’re missing your childhood days of clambering up the tree in your local park, then this might just be the course for you. Cornell University asks “what about that big tree down the street you always wanted to climb, but couldn’t reach the first branch? Cornell Outdoor Education’s Tree Climbing course will teach you how to get up into the canopy of any tree.” Excited yet? Us neither—But someone must be.

How to Win a Beauty Pageant

Explore gender, race, class and sexuality surrounding the history of beauty pageants at Oberlin College in one of the weirdest college classes out there. If your life long goal is to win big and take that trophy home then this might be the course for you.

UFOs in American Society

Looking at the military, the scientific community, the national UFO organization and the press (among many more). Temple College explores the impact of UFO’s on American society. If you fancy a lifestyle akin to The X-Files, this could be the college Sci-Fi experience you’ve been waiting for. 

How to Stage a Revolution

With the way things are going, this addition to our weirdest college classes might be one to keep in your back pocket. The MIT’s How To Stage a Revolution teaches, “How revolutionaries have attempted to establish their ideals and realize their goals.” So, if you’re planning on having a particularly rebellious phase—this is the course for you. Please remember to take your own sword and shield, as these are not included.

Magic, Witchcraft and Religion from Stonehenge to Harry Potter

A small catch with this one, you’re going to need to fly to London. Oberlin college runs it’s program as part of a London exchange. But this seems fitting, as this addition to the weirdest college classes takes you through the different stages of magic and witchcraft, beginning with Stonehenge and ending with…. Harry Potter. Wands at the ready.

The Science of Superheroes

This course means to trick you into learning the ins and outs of physics by using the intricacies of your superhero knowledge. Don’t expect to come out of this course shooting spider webs or soaring over rooftops.

 #SelfieClass

Explore the development of the selfie within this course. This addition to the weirdest college courses is in fact a writing course encouraging you to take and then analyze your selfies on a day-to-day basis. Who knows, by the end you might have mastered the art of taking the perfect selfie.

Taboos

Everything about this course at the American University is just so taboo. Students will be able to learn about topics ranging from “sexuality, witchcraft, cannibalism, human-animal relations, madness, and death” discovering just why these subjects are so controversial and what would happen if you chose to violate them.

The Sociology Of Miley Cyrus

There’s a high chance at some point during this course you will find yourself having to write the word twerk. Our final addition to the weirdest college classes invites you into the world of Miley Cyrus described by the prospectus to have gone “from Disney queen to twerking machine.” Students will have the opportunity to run a case study on Miley exploring themes about race, gender and identity in the media.

Would any of the weirdest college classes on this list take your fancy? Let College News know!

Read also: 7 Books You MUST Read While You’re Still in College

The post Top 10 Weirdest College Classes appeared first on College News.

The pride flag has been a symbolic icon of the LGBTQ community since 1978, and for the first time in its history, it’s come under redesign. As part of the Philadelphia pride parade this year, two news colors—brown and black—were added to the redesigned LGBTQ flag to recognise the non-white LGBTQ community.

Launched at the Philadelphia Pride month kick off, the More Color More Pride campaign aims to recognize non-white members of the LGBTQ community and create a broader pride movement. The campaign was developed by a local ad agency called Tierney that worked with Philadelphia’s Office of LGBT Affairs, where Amber Hikes is the executive director.

There has been some debate as to whether the redesigned LGBTQ flag is entirely necessary, with some claiming the flag isn’t designed to represent race, but sexuality. Hikes would disagree. “It’s a push for people to start listening to people of color in our community, start hearing what they’re saying, and really to believe them and to step up and say, ‘What can I do to help eradicate these issues in our community?’” 

Hikes still considers progress has to be made in the Philly community: in 2016 many social justice groups became angered when the owner of a popular gay bar got caught on video using the N-Word. Hikes hopes the flag will encourage conversations about equality for the non-white members of the LGBTQ community and inspire change amongst its more prejudice members. Hikes office has however received many angry responses—mostly from white gay men—who feel the black and brown stripes are unnecessary, she said.

Gilbert Baker, who died in March, was the original creator of the LGBTQ flag; his long-time friend Charley Baker said: “The stripes were not chosen for skin color—they were chosen to reflect the spectrum of color in nature”. He said the new flag should become its own independent symbol. “I encourage it, and I think people who know Gilbert would.” He says Baker was open to adaptations of his flag. But he said friends of the activist were startled to see a Wikipedia page dedicated to Baker’s flag altered to include the Philadelphia version.

Despite its controversy, the new flag has become somewhat of a viral sensation. The ever-noisy opposing minority, of course, want to get their views heard but for the most part, the redesigned LGBTQ flag seems to have been embraced and has been shared on Twitter, Facebook and Tumblr.

You might also enjoy: The LGBTQ Community in Schools

The post The Redesigned LGBTQ Flag appeared first on College News.

Work harder than everyone else

One of our top career tips for after graduation is to work hard. This seems like an obvious place to start, but just because it’s so obvious, it doesn’t mean it’s bad advice. There are a lot of highly talented people who don’t achieve much coming out of college because they don’t apply themselves enough.

According to the National Center for Educational Statistics (NCES), during “The 2016–17 school year, colleges and universities are expected to award 1,018,000 associate’s degrees, 1.9 million bachelor’s degrees and 798,000 master’s degrees”

There’s also a projected 3,992,000 graduates expected from the various degree opportunities in the 2017-2018 grad spectrum, according to the NCES.

What does this mean? You’re going to have to work hard, know your skill set like the back of your hand and make sure you assert those skills at every opportunity. There’s no substitution for hard work.

Okay, that’s the clichés out the way, now for some more in-depth tips.

Networking

I imagine you’ve heard that dreaded word a million times over at college; but how do you go about networking?

LinkedIn: There’s a certain disgruntled face that often gets pulled when LinkedIn gets mentioned, but it’s an exceedingly handy tool to network with a vast and eclectic number of professionals and businesses.

It’s incredibly important to remember that while LinkedIn is a social media platform, it should be used much more like a brochure for your professional candidacy. With that in mind; make sure your profile picture is professional. Consider where you are and what you’re wearing––you at the beach wearing a vest and holding a beer is probably not the time or place.

LinkedIn also has a tool where you can join groups of similarly-minded industry professionals. Make sure you pick them carefully and try not to join groups just for the sake of it. Know the career fields you want to be included in and select appropriately. Make sure you’re active in these groups as it’s no good joining them and sitting on the sidelines. Post thoughtful, well-informed comments and you’ll start to get noticed.

LinkedIn allows you to connect with professionals around the globe, whether that is first-hand connections or secondary ones. Keep in mind that reaching out to secondary contacts can seem brash––try and get referred through a connection you already have.

Make sure to upload your work & achievements to your profile. If you’re a creative graduate, consider keeping your portfolio up-to-date via LinkedIn. Remember to be selective and don’t upload everything you do or have done.

Ask colleagues, professors and associates to write recommendations for you but also remember to return the favor when possible. Developing a give-and-take between industry friends and colleagues is never a bad thing.

Career Events: One of our top career tips is to pop along to some career events. Yes, a lot of people are going to have a similar idea, but if you work hard to prove you’re the best on offer then these can propel your career trajectory. Make sure you prepare, dress well and—above all else—communicate your desire to progress. There’s nothing wrong with being bold in these kinds of situations.

Who do you know? A key facet of networking is using what you already have. At college, you’re likely to have industry experts come to speak in seminars and lectures, and have alumni who have gone on to bigger and better things. Top career tip: use them. Make contact while you’re still at college and build a professional relationship with them—they could quite quickly become one of your greatest assets when looking for a graduate job.

Google yourself

I imagine this one sounds odd, but new employers will more than likely type your name into Google. You should probably think about making changes if unwanted content appears OR if nothing appears.

Both of these aren’t desirable; ideally, you’ll have some online presence—even if this is just your LinkedIn—but you don’t want one that will put your employer off, so get those embarrassing college photos offline or onto private. We all know shenanigans ensued; we don’t need to see them.

If you have undertaken a degree that allows you to create a portfolio of work, make use of this. One of our top career tips is to create your own website. WordPress and other similar web tools are great assets to you for this. Aspiring journalists, writers, digital marketers, editors, producers and numerous more will all benefit from having an online portfolio come up when they are searched online. Once again, select your best work, not all your work. Consider doing some research on Search Engine Optimization (SEO). You don’t need to be an expert, but ensuring your blog/website comes up when your name is searched will be of great help.

Further reading: Nail a Successful Job Interview

Identify the jobs you want

Precision is always a good quality to have; this will become an important attribute when job hunting. Applying for anything and everything can leave you overwhelmed and underprepared. So realistically, target a select few companies (about eight-10) early on and cater your résumé. Online presence and networking around these eight-10 for now. If they don’t work out, you can re-adapt later on.

Create a clear and concise résumé

One of our top career tips is to work on your résumé. Your résumé should ideally take the form of a one-page marketing document. Employers will discard long résumés fairly quickly. Be concise and informative. Present to employers the key skills you want to put forward.

Begin with a clear and concise objective, three or four lines will do. Mention your degree and briefly touch upon your essential skills and the line of work you’d like to go into (make sure this matches the job you’re applying for!). For example, you could say you wanted an entry-level management position in the financial industry. Not being precise with your intentions could damage your chances.

Think about the qualifications you list and consider appropriate coursework to accompany these if you think it’s a good fit for the job you’re applying to. It’s important to realize that a college degree does statistically improve your chances of becoming employed. According to a study conducted by the NCES employment rates were almost twenty percent higher. The Pew Research Center has noted that the while employment rate of graduates has decreased, they still earn more and are more employable than those without a degree. These qualifications on your résumé will help––just be aware that alone they won’t hold the traction to get you a job. You need concise and relevant experience and marketable skills to succeed.

While at college, many of us have part-time jobs to help cover expenses and you may not chalk them up to have much experience. Another top career tip is to take the time, however, to properly analyze all the jobs you have undertaken. You might not think that working the customer service desk in retail, for example, is up to much but those client-facing skills will help to elevate your résumé.

Graduating won’t automatically get you a job. With the sheer number of us graduating these days that’s just a point of fact. Proving you’re a candidate worth investing both the time and the money in will. Make sure you’re diligent and take not of our top career tips when looking for a job. A slip up in how you promote yourself during your job search could be the difference between you and your competitors.

You might also enjoy: Applying for Your Dream Job

The post Top Career Tips After Graduation appeared first on College News.

Adam West’s Batman will always be fondly remembered for never taking itself too seriously. In an age before superhero films decided to adopt a more bleak outlook, audiences would tune in time after time to watch Adam West’s tongue-in-cheek Batman consider predicaments. One of the most memorable scenarios in the show is when Batman is trying to dispose of a bomb in the ocean while a set of ducks gazed up below, spawning one of the shows most quoted lines “some days you just can’t get rid of a bomb”. This is a softer, kinder tale with great spirit and humor that is perhaps lost in our modern age of TV and Film; but with the help of Adam West, moments such as these sit in our hearts and minds.

In later years, Adam West joined the cast of Family Guy, playing Mayor Adam West. The creator of show, Seth MacFarlane, paid tribute to the actor saying he had “lost a friend” and described him as “irreplaceable”.

His fellow Batmen also paid tribute to him, including Ben Affleck, Val Kilmer, Kevin Conroy and Will Arnett. His family honored his memory, calling him a “Bright Knight” and stated, “He always wanted to be our hero.”

Adam West was born in 1928 in Walla Walla, WA, and began his acting career in Hawaii in the 50s. Adam West is survived by his wife, Marcelle Tagand Lear, his six children, five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Further reading: Soundgarden Vocalist Chris Cornell Dies Age 52

The post Adam West: Goodbye Bright Knight appeared first on College News.

The inquiry into Donald Trump’s’ campaign ties with Russia got into full swing on June 8 when the testimony of James Comey—the former FBI director who Trump famously fired—was heard. Several enlightening details came to the forefront of the session, which smeared Trump’s already questionable name.

During the testimony of James Comey, the defendant claimed that Trump had tried to sink the enquiry around the so-called Russian Scandal that had lingered over the heads of our nation even before Trump managed to lynchpin himself into the Oval Office.

“The FBI is honest, the FBI is strong, and the FBI is and always will be independent.” Comey made this statement early on in his testimonial, stating on more than one occasion, that Trump had tried to barter for his complete loyalty despite Comey explaining to him multiple times that the FBI is first and foremost independent from a sitting president and his staff.

Trump advised that Comey be fired for undermining morale at the FBI. Comey said he was both “confused” and “concerned” about such allegations. Comey very clearly and simply stated, “Those were lies, plain and simple.”

The testimony of James Comey went into detail about his interactions with Trump, describing how the president went to great lengths to get him alone to discuss matters regarding his job, despite the fact that Trump had previously reassured Comey his position was safe.
College News previously covered the news about Comey’s written testimonial here but on this occasion, Comey made clear that he had never had to prepare written reports on meetings with a president before. Why? “I was honestly concerned that he might lie about the nature of our meetings.” We don’t need to go into detail about the times Trump has publically lied to us, he has made that his go-to set piece, but if I say birth certificate… You get the idea.

The testimony of James Comey had some notable moments when Comey himself said that he couldn’t answer questions in an open setting; instead they would be saved for the private investigation that the public would not be privy to. When asked whether he knew or believed that Trump personally colluded with Russia, he could only say “It’s a question I don’t think I should answer in an open setting.” Take from that what you will.

Trump described the Russia investigation to Comey as a “cloud” hanging over him and he wanted the pressure alleviated. Comey said, “I know I was fired because of something about the way I was conducting the Russia investigation was in some way putting pressure on him, in some way irritating him, and he decided to fire me because of that”.  Not only is Trump willing to interfere with an ongoing investigation that is there to protect the American people and their rights (in this case, voter fraud) but he is willing to put his own personal standing before such an investigation. Trump is a man who thrives on being recognized as doing a “good job” and will fight and lie against anyone who tells him he’s doing otherwise. His morality stands firmly on the side of his own standing and he clearly believes in his own power so much that he should be untouchable by the few laws of the country he serves. And that’s the key word here: “serves”—Trump is supposed to work for us. He’s there to work in our best interests. Not his. If Trump genuinely wants to make America Great Again, this investigation needs to proceed with haste, because, truthfully, America can only be greater without Trump and his tiny little hands hanging over every law that gets signed in the name of the American people.

Did you watch the testimony of James Comey? Let College News know!

You might also be interested in: James Comey Testimony Highlights Concerns about Trump

The post Testimony of James Comey: Trump Obstructs Justice appeared first on College News.

Apple products are here to stay. Their consistent software updates and product performance hooks the buyer every time, so why wouldn’t you want to know about the latest upgrades coming to your favorite gadget? The Apple WWDC 2017 provided you with all of that vital information in its annual showcase of new software and technology.

Apple is known for showmanship, both in its announcements and in the products themselves. As ever, everything we’re going to tell you about is sleek, snazzy and a little bit sexy (don’t judge us.).

The HomePod

The featured product at the Apple WWDC 2017 launch was the HomePod— think of the Amazon Echo but much shinier and with your old pal Siri built-in and ready to go. The speaker comes in “space gray” or white and is primarily being launched as a music system with assistive capabilities (i.e. Siri).

So what key features does the HomePod come with? First, it has been designed to track spacial awareness and detects the size of the room you are in and adjusts its output accordingly. CEO Tim Cook offered the opinion that no company had quite nailed the smart speaker yet—throwing some subtle shade at Amazon and Google there Tim? Surely not. Tim came into proceedings with a knowing confidence stating that Apple had already re-invented portable music and now it was time to reinvent wireless music throughout the home. A bold statement indeed, but to be fair, he has achieved this prior to the latest release.

Similarly to Amazon Echo and Google Home the device will also be able to send messages, receive updates on news, sports and weather, have a chat with Siri and control smart home devices which are connected using Apple’s HomeKit.

Priced at $349, the HomePod is likely to take a fair bit out of your college fund so make sure to get your spending in order before you hand over your plastic for this technological delight.

The iOS

The iOS 11 brings with it a variety of new features that are sure to set the minds of Apple fans racing. Some of these include:

• Apple Pay has now been integrated into your phone allowing you to send money to friends who also have iMessage.
• Upgraded camera features—including stabilization for portrait photos, true tone flash and HDR.
• New effects added like “loop” and “bounce” (much like those recently added to Snapchat and Instagram)
• A “Do not disturb while driving” feature.
• Upgrades have also been made to commonplace features such as the AppStore, Apple Maps, Apple Music and Apple News.

The iPad

iPad & iPad Pro: Also announced at the Apple WWDC 2017 was the new makeovers of the iPad and iPad Pro. The iPad is now 10.5 inches, and the iPad Pro is 12.5 which both cut down the borders by almost 40 percent.

Other enhancements that those with an attention for detail might notice is the improved retina display which, with their new ProMotion technology, helps users with using the Apple Pencil.

These new iPads are faster than most PC laptops with something called an Alox fusion chip built in to achieve such capabilities. This will be perfect for those of you who photo edit, render 3D images or maybe just play games when you probably have something more important to do.

There are also a few iOS features that have been added especially for iPads:

• The new customizable dock gives you more control over your many multitasking needs.
•  The new File App allows you to integrate external applications such as Dropbox and Box along with the built-in iCloud server.
•  Notes now allow you to scan documents directly into your iPad.

Are you caught up with Apple WWDC 2017? Let us know your thoughts.

You might also enjoy: 7 Books you MUST Read While You’re Still in College

The post The Apple WWDC 2017 appeared first on College News.

Before James Comey testifies on June 8, his pre-released statement has come to light; bringing into question whether Donald Trump attempted to cause an obstruction of justice.

The James Comey testimony

“Trump stated ‘I need loyalty, I expect loyalty.’ I didn’t move, speak, or change my facial expression in any way during the awkward silence that followed. We simply looked at each other in silence”—James Comey

Later in the conversation, Trump tried again, telling Comey: “I need loyalty.”

Comey replied: “You will always get honesty from me.”

Trump then said: “That’s what I want, honest loyalty.”

This account has been directly lifted from the James Comey testimony written prior to appearing before the Senate intelligence committee on June 8. In his account, James Comey raised concerns about the president’s proceedings. The FBI is supposed to work as an independent investigation agency and not work directly in the interests of the president and his staff. 

James Comey had made several accounts to Trump during the presidential election in 2016 where he had to reiterate to him that he was not personally being investigated for his ties with Russia, but rather his election committee was. James Comey states he gave Trump his account on several occasions to reassure the president-elect at the time.

Trump’s insistence that the former FBI director pledge his loyalty to him and not the FBI ethical grounds raises significant questions about whether Trump was trying to pervert the course of justice and deter investigations into his campaign’s connections with Russia. 

Upon the FBI directors’ resilience to Trump and refusing to drop the inquiry, James Comey found himself out of a job. Trump’s staff have tried to deny these allegations. Unfortunately, the schoolyard bully turned president had other ideas, declaring that firing him relieved “great pressure”, according to James Comey’s testimony that was produced when Trump met the Russian officials in the White House last month.

What next?

Comey will now answer questions both publicly and privately before the Independent Senate Committee on June 8. The public part of the investigation will be streamed online and on several news stations.

The James Comey testimony can be found here.

More to follow…

You may also enjoy: Trump’s Paris Climate Deal Cotastrophe

The post James Comey Testimony Highlights Concerns about Trump appeared first on College News.