The following are stories and questions about them. Each story is followed by a question and answer to a given question.

Story: Why are we addicted to upgrades? According to Donald Norman, American author of the book The Design of Everyday Things, "planned obsolescence" is the trick behind the upgrading culture of today's consumer electronics industry. 

The New York Times cited Norman last month, saying that electronics manufactures strategically release new upgrades periodically, both for hardware and software, so that customers on every level feel the need to buy the newest version. 

"This is an old-time trick- they're not inventing anything new," he said. 

Thomas Wensma, a Dutch designer, despises the "planned obsolescence" of companies, as recently reported by UK-based The Guardian. 

Wensma said this is a wasteful system through which companies - many of them producing personal electronics - release shoddy products simply because "they know that, in six months or a year, they'll put out a new one". 

But the new psychology of consumers is part of this system, as Wensma said to the newspaper: "We now want something new, something pretty, the next shiny thing." 

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"It's to the damage of the consumer and the environment," as the New York Times quoted Norman. "But perhaps to the betterment of the stockholder." 

In its most recent fiscal year, Apple's profit margin was more than 21 percent, reported the Los Angeles Times. At Hewlett-Packard, the world's biggest PC manufacturer, it was only 7 percent. 

"Steven Jobs pushed the principle of 'planned obsolescence' to new heights," the newspaper commented on the company's profits and marketing strategy. "Apple's annual upgrades of its products generate sales of millions of units as owners of one year's MacBook or iPhone line up to buy the newest version, even when the changes are incremental." 

Peer pressure 

As to Li Jijia, the need for upgrading his smart phone comes mainly from friends and classmates. When the majority of friends are switching to the latest devices, he worries about feeling left out. 

"Some apps and games require better hardware to run," said Li. "If you don't join in, you lose part of the connection to your friends."

Question: Who was the author of the book?
Answer:Donald Norman

Question: Name of the book?
Answer:The Design of Everyday Things

Question: What trick he talked about?
Answer:"planned obsolescence"

Question: What culture it represents?
Answer:upgrading culture

Question: Of whom?
Answer:today's consumer electronics industry.

Question: Did anyone oppose the idea?
Answer:Thomas Wensma

Question: What's his nationality?
Answer:Dutch

Question: and profession?
Answer:designer

Question: Who reported about him?
Answer:The Guardian.

Question: From which country?
Answer:
the UK