(February 21, 2008) — “It makes the world a better place,” junior Hovan Johnny Goukassian said about the expansion of technology. Goukassian is torn over whether the rapid change in technology is positive or negative. “Some things I wouldn’t mind, but for others I would.” The 21 st century has brought with it a technological boom. Products are constantly being outdated by newer, faster and better technology. A good example of this is the movie industry. The popular format of video is continually changing at an increasingly fast pace, forcing consumers to buy more devices every year. The Video Home System (VHS) was introduced in the mid-seventies and became a standard item by the nineties. The VHS prospered greatly until the launch of the Digital Video Disc (DVD) in 1996. By 2003 the DVD had out-moded the VHS. This marked the beginning of a technological arms race. DVDs can now be found in almost any household. However, the Blu-Ray Disc is now starting to take over the sales of the DVD. The Blu-Ray Disc is a way to store digital information in high definition. The Blu-Ray disc presents a clearer, more detailed picture. The choice format for videos is not the only thing that is rapidly changing; the iPod is also a good example of this technological arms race. The iPod, which was introduced in late 2001, has become a cultural phenomenon. New iPods are introduced at an alarming rate. Ipods have slowly been eliminating the need for CDs. Senior Siuon Toubeh said he would rather have an iPod than use CDs because he could have more songs and take it everywhere. Toubeh, however, does not have an iPod. “My parents think it’s useless since I drive and have a car,” said Toubeh. The replacement of CDs with iPods, Toubeh said, is positive because “CDs can get messed up and the song [quality] isn’t as good.” Some upgrades aren’t all about quality, though. The new Apple TV is quickly spreading its wings and could quite possibly replace the Blu-Ray disc in the near future. The quality of movie rentals offered is the same as that of a blu-ray disc, but instead of discs the Apple TV uses digital downloads. This means the consumer won’t have to drive to the store and pick up physical discs. Movies are downloadable at high speeds, and cost less than other rental stores. The rapid change in technology is hard to keep up with. New models become old almost overnight. “I just don’t like it when companies make a product and then a week later they improve it and make more millions,” Goukassian said.