Review of New MacBook Pro 2016 by Arnav Dham

The new MacBook Pro 2016 released in late October has been gaining popularity. The base level 13-inch MacBook Pro without the hyped up Touch Bar retails at $1,499. This laptop is definitely on the expensive end but should not be dismissed without a closer look. We'll look at six criteria laptops should be judged on.

Design

The new design on the MacBook is extremely elegant and can catch anyones eye. The body is made of aluminum and maintains its classic build. The aluminum body is certainly compact, as it has 23 percent less volume and is 17 percent thinner than the last 13-inch Pro. Measuring 11.97 x 8.36 x 0.58 inches and weighing 3.02 pounds, the new 13-inch MacBook Pro is smaller in every dimension than the previous model, which weighed 3.42 pounds and measured 12.35 x 8.62 x 0.71 inches.

I have personally observed the laptop up close. A few things I noticed were that the speakers are visible on the sides of the keyboard, I really like the look. Also, I have seen the two colors that are offered, Space Grey, and the usual MacBook Silver. Personally, I would prefer the darker tone because it just looks more classy.

The only thing I don’t like about the design of this laptop is the fact that Apple got rid of the light up logo on the front of the laptop. This really is a bummer because the light up logo was iconic and it seperated Apple from other laptops on the market. Apple was forced to get rid of the light because of the new thin design, with the light, the laptop would have been quite thicker.

Ports

Dongles will be needed. The 13-inch MacBook Pro has gotten rid of most ports and only supports two Thunderbolt 3 ports on the left and a headphone jack on the right. The good news is that the Thunderbolt 3 ports, which have a USB-C connector, enable power and data over a single connection. They offer blazing fast transfer speeds (up to 40 Gbps) and will let you connect two 4K monitors. You must charge the laptop using either one of the two ports, as Apple has retired its MagSafe connection. MagSafe was when you could charge your Mac with a magnetic charger making sure your entire laptop doesn’t fall if you, per se, trip over the charging wire.  A couple setbacks are;  if you want to charge your phone directly from your laptop you will now need a USB to USB-C dongle. Apple has also gotten rid of the SD card which means you cannot directly import photos from your camera to your laptop. 

In my eyes, Apple messed up, getting rid of all of these ports may sway the average consumer away from buying this laptop.

Display

This is one of the best laptop displays I have ever seen. The laptop is top of the class and has probably the best display on the market. The 2560 x 1600-pixel Retina display on the 13-inch MacBook Pro is 67 percent brighter than before. The laptop contains 500 nits brightness which is significantly higher than the last Pro model which came in at 385 nits. Comparatively,  the Dell XPS 13 hit just 302 nits, the HP Spectre x360 317 nits and the Lenovo Yoga 910 292 nits.

The MacBook surpass all of these laptops with flying colors. The display offers rich and vibrant colors and has a plethora of different colors to offer. I am extremely impressed by the display on this 2016 model. My only complaint about the display is that the black levels could be higher, they were lacking while I was watching videos.

Keyboard and Trackpad

With the new MacBook Pro models Apple has decided to implement the butterfly mechanism, they already used this type of keyboard on the MacBook, but now released a second-generation in the Pro models. This second-generation layout has the same low amount of travel (0.5 mm) but, the new one offers better tactile feedback, thanks to an improved design. As I typed on this laptop, I found it to be extremely speedy and a very easy typing experience. Since the keys are also bigger on the laptop I made very few typing mistakes, but since many people are new to this type of keyboard, it may take a while to get adjusted to the feel.

The trackpad has also changed big time. The trackpad is now twice as big as previous models and allows easy use of gestures. The Force Click setting allows you to press hard into the trackpad and see a definition of a word.

Battery Life

The battery life on Macs has always been superb, and nothing has changed with this new release. Apple rates the 54.5 watt-hour battery in the 13-inch MacBook Pro for 10 hours of web surfing time. On the Laptop Mag web surfing test, in which they set the screen at 100 nits of brightness and surf the web over Wi-Fi, the MacBook Pro lasted an awesome 12 hours and 21 minutes. That beats the last 2015 MacBook Pro we reviewed, which lasted 12:04. This MacBook Pro's runtime obliterates both the HP Spectre x360 (10:06) and Yoga 910 (10:36) by about 2 hours.

Configurations

The entry-level, 13-inch MacBook I reviewed starts at $1,499 and includes a 2-GHz 6th generation Intel Core i5 processor, 8GB of memory and a 256GB PCI-e based SSD, plus Intel Iris graphics. Upgrading can get pretty pricey, as jumping up to a Core i7 CPU costs $300. If you would prefer to check out Apple's innovative new Touch Bar, which puts a touch screen above the keyboard to give you a wide range of relevant shortcut controls - you'll have to pay $1,799 or over $2,300 depending on if you get the 13 inch model or 15 inch model with the Touch Bar. You'll also get a Touch ID button for logging into your Mac and making Apple Pay purchases with a tap of your finger, as well two additional Thunderbolt 3 ports.

Conclusion

The new MacBook Pro beats its predecessor in many ways and is definitely an extremely powerful machine that is compact and portable. The price is on the higher end, but in the end the laptop is worth it depending on your needs and budget. So, yes, the new MacBook Pro is an excellent laptop, and I strongly recommend it.   

5 Ways to Stop Procrastinating By Rav Kaur

5 Ways to Stop Procrastinating

By Rav Kaur

I don’t know about you, but I definitely have trouble completing my homework early and getting it out of the way. I am in high school and a part of the marching band, so it feels like all of my time is taken up, and I don’t want to spend the rest of my time doing my homework. If any of you relate, and do extracurricular activities that take up your time, or if you simply do not like homework, then please read ahead!

1.    One simple way to stay calm and stop procrastination is write down all of the assignments you have due. Writing things down can help you realize how much homework is due, and what is due when. Writing things down can really help you understand that not as much as you thought is due.

2.    Another way to stop procrastinating is to set up a schedule. Figure out when you are busy and set a schedule to do your homework. Try to set up a time for homework that gets it done early, but also doesn’t overload you with all of your homework all on one day.

3.    Give yourself 5-10 minute breaks in between homework. Doing all of it without stopping makes you want to stop in the middle and just not do it at all. Maybe do math first, then a break, then english, then a break, etc. If your homework for one subject is long, do half of it, take a break, then the other half. But make sure you don’t extend your break for more than 10 minutes, otherwise you will get distracted.

4.    Prioritize your assignments. If something is due before something else, do the assignment that is due first, while also working on the other one, but make sure to do more of the one due first. If you have an essay due in a week, but your math homework due in a 2 days, finish the math first, then start the essay. But make sure to start the essay early.

5.    Start long term assignments/projects early. If a project is given to you a month before it’s due, start it early. Do a little bit each day, and when you have extra time, do more of it. If you wait until the day before to do it, you will be staying up all night and be very tired, and the project will not be the best it could be. 

Book Review- Girl, Stolen By:Aleena Khan

Book Review- Girl, Stolen

By:Aleena Khan

Imagine if you were blind. It would be hard to maneuver and sense your surroundings. Now, imagine if you were blind AND kidnapped, and did not have the slightest idea as to where you were going. Girl, Stolen by April Henry is a suspenseful and quick-paced novel about a 16-year-old girl named Cheyenne who is accidentally kidnapped as she is sleeping in the back of her stepmother's car. Her stepmother was just supposed to fill a prescription and come back; however, while sleeping, Cheyenne sensed that someone different entered the car. Cheyenne couldn’t see, but she could sense that this was not her stepmother. The smell of cigarettes and the car door slamming loudly immediately gave her the sense that she was being kidnapped. This novel gives you a new perspective on the difficult world of a blind, and  it definitely opened my eyes to a lot of things that I didn’t know about blind people. I really like the symbolism of the little girl covering her eyes, most of us do it when afraid, but for the heroine of the story it is something she must live with every day as a blind person.

In addition, this novel makes one honor a girl who has to think of various ways to escape her problematic situation. Everyone should read this novel because of its unique plot and entertaining read.

Your Inner Fish by Neil Shubin; Review by Eddie Sim

Your Inner Fish by Neil Shubin is about the discovery of the "missing link" between lizards and fish, Tiktaalik, as well as what makes people evolve and the changes that occur in evolution. Shubin is an paleontologist who discovered the bones of a fish with hands, called Tiktaalik. Tiktaalik was a huge find, as it was already known to be the transition from fish to reptile, but nobody had ever seen proof of its existence. Additionally, Shubin discusses evolution, specifically how the body decides what parts develop as needed. These range from better senses of smell to growing or losing limbs to better suit the environment. Not only that, but he also shows how similar our body parts are to ancient creatures that have gone extinct many years ago. For example, we share a large part of our genes with worms, and our hands used to be fins! I liked this book because it was easy to read but still taught me a lot about ancient life and transitions in anatomy. I'd recommend Your Inner Fish to anyone who wants to learn about the ways our bodies have grown from simple fish to the complex animals we are today. It does take a little while to actually get into the meat of the book, but the introductory paragraphs pass quickly. 

Eddie Sim

Review of Taken By Erin Bowman By Aastha Kannan

Taken By Erin Bowman

By Aastha Kannan

           

A fan of The Hunger Games or Divergent Series? Then this is most certainly the book for you. Centered around a boy named Gray who lives in a town called ClaySoot, the book follows his journey to find out the truth about his life and the Heist. The Heist is a ritual that occurs on every boy’s eighteenth birthday. On the eve of a boy’s eighteenth birthday, a feast is held in his honor to say goodbye and the minute the boy turns eighteen the ground shakes hard and he is swallowed up, never to be seen again. Many boys who know that their fate is to be the same, attempt to climb the Wall which is a barrier between ClaySoot and whatever lies beyond it, but their burned bodies show up at the bottom of the Wall the next day. Every time. Gray refuses to believe that this is the only solution and looks into matters himself. By his side is his childhood crush Emma. She slowly falls in love with Gray and follows him in his search for answers. Answers are not always easy to find in ClaySoot and with Gray’s eighteenth birthday creeping up, time is running out. Nevertheless, Emma and Gray keep the search going for an explanation for the Heist and why it happens and how. Their questions lead them over the Wall, a feat no one has managed to survive so far. The next morning their bodies are not found at the bottom of the Wall. They are the first climbers to ever survive. If I give away much more there will be no need for you to read the book so I will only say this, for people who enjoy mystery, suspense, romance, and thrill, this is a book you do not want to miss out.

Review of Today We Are Rick by Tim Sanders; review by Eddie Sim

Today We Are Rich by Tim Sanders is a book about harnessing self confidence to achieve what people previously thought was impossible. Tim Sanders often brings up what he calls the "Negativity Loop", a cycle where someone thinks negative thoughts, suffers from it, and keeps thinking negatively resulting in a downward spiral. In this book, Sanders discusses his "sideways years" where his life takes a turn for the worse and he makes continuously worse choices, creating a negativity loop. This is resolved as he remembers the confidence lessons his grandmother taught him as a child that he can apply to turn his life around for the better. The book also covers his clients who suffer from their own problems, and how he has helped them get their lives back on track. Sanders shows how to deal with a worst case scenario (it probably won't happen), and how to turn negative thoughts into positive energy. As a whole, Today We Are Rich is not a book on how to make profit, but rather being rich as a person and living life to the fullest.

I really enjoyed this book ever since I got it a few years ago. At the time I had been struggling in school and my own personal life, but this book helped me bring my confidence to a new high. I learned that the worst case scenario I imagined almost will never happen, and how to prepare for a better outcome. I feel like I’ve become more positive overall! I’d recommend this book to anybody who is currently in a slump right now, as it’s a short read but provides a huge amount of insight into how to improve yourself.

Eddie Sim

Book Review of The Storyteller By: Aastha Kannan

Book Review of The Storyteller

By: Aastha Kannan

            Written by Antonia Michaelis, The Storyteller, is a book I have glanced over and walked away from numerous times while searching for books to read in the library.  Thankfully, on my last visit I passed it once more except this time, I stopped and picked it up. When I saw the purplish pink cover littered with blood drops and a single rose, I knew I had to read it. Good thing too because until that moment I did not know how much I was missing out on. Michaelis is a terrific author who blends in mystery and romance flawlessly. The story follows two characters named Anna and Abel, a good girl and a bad boy, classic tale right? Except, this romance involves a murder and a storyteller’s story. The book goes back and forth between the storyteller’s story and reality and strangely Anna starts to realize that Abel (the storyteller) seems to be incorporating murders that have not yet happened but will eventually in his stories. She does not realize until it is too late, until she has already fallen in love with him and his younger sister Micha for whom he tells stories. Beautifully written, using vivid colors and characters that who can be made relatable to young people, Michaelis knows just how to draw out every emotion throughout the course of the novel. Anna and Abel’s desperate love and need for each other gives the story a certain degree of heartbreak and grief because Michaelis’ genius writing allows your subconscious to realize what the story is saying without actually interpreting it till you are told. Therefore, you are left with a feeling of anxiety about who the murderer is while wishing that everything works out for Anna and Abel but at the same time knowing who the murderer is and praying that you are wrong. The other characters in the story are wrapped up in the rawness aspect of the story and Michaelis ties them in perfectly, just enough for the reader to be aware of them but not enough for the reader to think much of them until much much later. Until it is too late. Overall, this book is a 10/10 for me and any and everyone must read it should they get a chance. This book will truly change your perception of writing. 

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Play by John Tiffany and Jack Thorne Review By Nina Claudia Soukhanovskii

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Play by John Tiffany and Jack Thorne Review

By Nina Claudia Soukhanovskii

“Be honest to those you love, show your pain. To suffer is as human as to breathe.”

A Note Before I Review the Book:

Everyone says that the current generation doesn’t read much. And that was true. I mean, who wants to read if there are so many interesting things to do out there, such as keeping up Snapchat streaks and catching Pokémon with the Pokémon Go app? However, when I wanted to read the all-new Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, and I searched it up on the library catalog, I found to my astonishment that all the copies were checked out. What does that mean? So does the current generation read, or is it just this particular book? In fact, it’s a little bit of both. “One legacy of the Harry Potter books is that they turned a whole generation onto reading,” writes the August 2016 issue of the Time magazine. And that’s absolutely true, for no other book in our library (and probably in other libraries) is as demanded as the Harry Potter books. 

Meet the Main Characters:

Harry and Ginny Potter: This remarkable duo returns in the eighth book of their story. However, this time, they are not Hogwarts students defending everything they know, but supportive parents of their three children (James Sirius, AlbusSeverus, and Lily Luna). 

Albus Severus Potter: The main character of this story, Albus is the middle child of the three Potters. When he first goes to school, everyone is surprised that he is not like his father in so many ways, and Albus struggles to keep his reputation together as he tries to be like his father but only makes it worse.

Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger: Of course, the book wouldn’t be complete without these two. They are the loving parents of Rose Granger-Weasley, and they help Harry with his “son troubles” as they did long ago.

Rose Granger-Weasley: Tries to be Albus’ friend, but only makes him more frustrated about his life and personality. She, herself, is very much like her mother.

Scorpius Malfoy: The son of the once-hated Draco, he is rumored to be Voldemort’s son and also struggles with his life. He quickly makes friends with Albus, despite their father’s concerns.

Delphi: A sneaky little witch that lures the two boys into a trap that they didn’t know they were in until they fell right into it. 

A Little Summary With No Spoilers (I promise!)

​It is time for Albus Severus Potter, Harry Potter’s middle child, to start his schooling at Hogwarts. Despite the excitement around him, Albus is very nervous because he believes that he will mess up. As soon as he arrives to Hogwarts, everything goes just the opposite of how Albus wants it to go. He is not placed into Gryffindor, he makes friends with a Malfoy, and he isn’t at all like his father in lessons. 

​One night, Albus overhears a conversation of his father with Amos Diggory (who is still suffering from his son’s death). Amos tells Harry that he heard that there was still one time-turner left at the Ministry of Magic. He begs Harry to let him have the time-turner just to go back to the Tri-Wizard Tournament and to bring back his son. However, Harry refuses to do this and denies all facts of having a time-turner.

​Albus, still angry at his father because of several previous arguments, decided to help Amos Diggory to show his father that he is still good at something. With the help of  his Malfoyfriend and a girl named Delphi (who claims to be Amos’ neice), he breaks into the Ministry and steals the only time-turner Hermione didn’t destroy.

​However, this time-turner only allowed the trio to travel into time for five minutes. Obviously, this wasn’t enough time, but Albus decided to do it anyway, and plunged into the Tri-Wizard tournament of his father’s youth. The trio manages to save Cedric, but when they come into the past, there are several changes. Rose isn’t born, Albus is in Gryffindor, and Hermione is a teacher at Hogwarts (although before she was Minister for Magic). 

​The trio flies into time again, and save Cedric again. Only this time, when they return, Scorpious Malfoy finds that Harry Potter had been dead for years, Albus was never born, and Voldemort ruled the world. Scared and horrified, Socrpiousalone (for Delphi has disappeared somewhere) runs into what is left of the sad party. Ron and Hermione (although not married), along with Severus Snape all live in the depths of a forest, and constantly have to be on the watch for they could be killed any moment.

​Desperate to get back to the world he knew, Scorpious tells the new Ron, Hermione, and Severus of his world. The three are surprised to hear what had actually happened, and they agree to help him get back to reality. Scorpious returns. Everything seems that it’s just right.

​However, that’s not the case. All of a sudden, the boys find out who Delphi is, but it’s too late. She takes them back to the day Harry’s parents were killed, and leaves them stuck in the past. It’s up to the boys to call over their parents and close ones to help them defend the past and save the future, all while living in the present.

My Thoughts on this Book:

Overall, I thought that this book fit snugly with the other seven, and that it was a great continuation. It must be remembered that this play is only based on the book, and is not the actual story. However, it was still hard to tear myself away from it because I have not touched the series since I finished it, and I realized how much I missed this wizarding world. There was plenty of action for those who cannot read long and boring descriptions, and there was enough descriptions for those who are confused without it. The style was so much like J.K. Rowling’s, it was hard to believe that she didn’t write the play as well. I definitely recommend this book to all Potterheads and Un-Potterheads. Everyone will love this new book, for it’s like the other seven and not like them all at once. Enjoy!

My Rating:

I give this book 10 out of 5 stars. No, I didn’t make a mistake. I am giving it 10 out of 5 stars because it was simply wonderful. 

Made You Up, written by Francesca Zappia, review by Simran Bagdiya

Made You Up by Francesca Zappia Review

         

“I didn't have the luxury of taking reality for granted. And I wouldn't say I hated people who did, because that's just about everyone. I didn't hate them. They didn't live in my world.

But that never stopped me from wishing I lived in theirs. ”

Summary

Alexandra Ridgemont (“Alex”) is a girl who cannot trust herself. Miles is a guy everyone fears. Together, what will they become?In Zappia’s delightful novel, Alex is a high school senior who fights a daily battle within her life, struggling to determine what is the truth, and what is merely an illusion crafted by her devious mind. Ready with her Magic 8 ball, her camera, and her only true friend (her little sister), Alex is determined to maintain her sanity until she finishes up her senior year.

         

          However one day, before school even starts, Alex runs into Miles, who she’s pretty sure resembles someone from her childhood memories. Soon enough, Alex is thrown into the crazy world of high school parties, making friends, falling in love, and going through all the typical teenager experiences. But Alex is used to having a crazy life. She’s not prepared for normal.

          Inspiring, encouraging, and filled with bits of humor, Made You Up is a wonderful book discussing a variety of topics, and captures the struggles of one teenager’s journey in trying to decipher the difference between reality and imagination within her life.

My Opinion

I think this was a spectacular, well-written book, and definitely needs more recognition.. This book certainly made me think, and left me wondering how my life would have been if I had to spend all my days contemplating what events and what people were real and what was not. Overall, the way the author tackled several different issues and combined them all into one book was lovely.

Additionally, I thought that story unfolded very nicely due to Alex being an unreliable narrator, which resulted in me constantly flipping the pages, trying to determine for myself what was real and what was merely a hallucination.

Moreover, I enjoyed how both Alex and Miles were not crafted as “perfect people”, growing and developing as people by support.ing one another. Additionally, both character’s flaws were apparent throughout the story, causing me to like them much more than I would have, and allowing me to become more invested within the overall story.

Overall, I thought that the characters within this book had very diverse personalities at certain points, and I absolutely loved the way the author flawlessly combined all the plotlines at the very end to create a well written story addressing so many important issues.

Final Rating: 5 out of 5 stars (This book was certainly an enjoyable read, with an unique concept (for me) and is definitely now part of my favorites collection!)

Simran Bagdiya