Social Media May be a Source but is it a Reliable One?
February 16, 2010 – According to results of a recent study conducted in cooperation by Cision and George Washington University, social media websites, like Facebook, Linkedin, and Twitter, continue to increase in their importance as journalistic sources. Based on responses from 371 Print and Web Journalists, the 2009 Social Media & Online Usage Study findings indicated an increased reliance upon social media websites for source information. Ironically, the increased usage of social media did not necessarily indicate trust in them as reliable sources for information. The study included eleven questions regarding various aspects of journalistic research, such as the degree of use of social media, use of search engines, and factors influencing levels of trustworthiness. Following are a few highlights of the study’s findings.
President Obama Seeks New Social Media Guru
February 15, 2010 – It seems the Obama administration will have a new vacancy to fill on March 1, 2010. The position of the Barack Obama Twitterer/Facebooker/Social Media Ninja, currently held by Mia Cambronero, will become vacant. This is not to be confused with the official White House equivalent, which is apparently staffed by a whole different social media guru.
Can the Wave Carry Samsung into the Smartphone Market?
February 15, 2010 – On February 14, 2010, Samsung announced the official release of its signature smartphone, the Samsung Wave. Though still the world’s number two handset maker, Samsung has yet to land a device in the smartphone category that can truly compete with perennial powerhouses like the iPhone, BlackBerry, or Droid.
Read the rest of this Geek Shui Living post on MWD, by clicking the image below.
Computing’s Thirteen Most Annoying Moments (Part I)
February 12, 2010 – Computer history can be said to date back to 300 B.C. with the Babylonian’s invention of the Abacus. It may not have had any wires, a motherboard, or a processor, but it still took a previously manual task and turned it into, at least, a semi-automated one. In the 1,700 years that have since past, mankind has made huge strides in technology. These led us, in small steps, to the point at which we are now. The invention of the telephone led to the first transatlantic telephone call. The invention of machines to decode messages led to our ability to implement secure communications, via both voice and data.
The fact that one invention or discovery eventually leads to another also applies to the evolution of what we consider to be “annoying stuff”. For every positive discovery, there is the potential for it to lead to an unforeseen and, often, annoying consequence. Such being the case, what are a few technological milestones that have been positive but led to annoying consequences for the computing masses? With that, we present to you The Thirteen Most Annoying Moments in Computing History. Why choose thirteen? We’ll let you figure that one out on your own. Don’t get us wrong. These are great achievements, for which we’ll be forever grateful. Nonetheless, they have led to things that truly annoy computer users around the world, on a daily basis.
Since we know that the average person will allot only about two minutes to read any given article on the web, we’ve broken it down into Parts I and II. Events are listed chronologically, not in level of annoyance. Today, we’ll look at events 1-7. Our hope is that readers will walk away feeling like we do, grateful, yet mildly annoyed, at the technological milestones that helped us get to where we are today. So, without further ado, onto the list…
Has Social Networking Ruined the Surprise at the Olympics?
February 12, 2010 – Despite valiant attempts by organizers to ensure festivities planned for the Opening Ceremonies of the 2010 Winter Olympics, to be held in Vancouver, BC, technology and, specifically, social networking may have ruined the surprise. Set to open tonight, this year’s ceremony is the first to be held indoors. During the course of this week, two dress rehearsals that involved around 60,000 people were held. Though participants were required to sign confidentiality agreements, the proliferance of smart phones made it impossible to ensure pictures, videos, and commentary did not make their way out and onto the web shortly after the rehearsals. Twitter, Facebook, and email providers were all witness to leaked photographs, shaky video, and some very surprise-ruining comments.
Organizers are certain that tonight’s ceremony, which are reported to pack more of an emotional punch than a visual one, will still generally be a surprise to participants and viewers. While the lack of confidentiality and discretion on the part of participants does not constitute a major incident, it does highlight a growing problem. If individuals cannot control themselves and refrain from taking pictures and videos when it is neither appropriate nor allowed, who can control them? Incidents in countries like China and Iran reinforce the theory that banning technology altogether is both unethical and unhelpful. Nonetheless, perhaps its time for people to be a bit more responsible. When organizers at an event say (in a non-threatening and oppressive way), please no photographs, video, or recording devices, people can leave the technology in their pocket and just enjoy the moment. Who needs a picture, when they have a private memory that will last a lifetime?
FBI Asks ISPs to Keep Logs of Browsing History…Just in Case
February 11, 2010 – In a move that will alarm anyone who cares about privacy, the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) is once again pushing for Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to maintain archived logs of internet browsing history of customers, for a period of at least two years. The FBI asserts that doing so will enhance their capability to investigate criminal activity, such as the viewing, downloading, and distribution of child pornography.
Read the entire Geek Shui Living post on MWD, by clicking on the image below.
Opera for iPhone May Be Available But Will Apple Approve It?
February 11, 2010 – As soon as next week, Opera Software could debut its mobile browser for use on the iPhone. Reported to be up to six times faster than Safari, the iPhones native browser, it also claims to reduce unnecessary bandwidth consumption by as much as 90%.
While that last statistic might sound very attractive to AT&T, the iPhone’s only approved carrier, Apple may not be as excited at the possibilities. If Apple feels Opera may ultimately pose a threat to Apple’s stronghold on the device’s platform, they may do everything possible to prevent or, at least, delay it’s approval for inclusion in the tightly controlled App Store.
Opera Software has yet to officially submit the software to Apple for review, but they do not anticipate problems, once they do. According to Reuters news sources, Opera cofounder Jon von Tetzchner is quoted as saying, “…we hope that Apple will not deny their users a choice in Web browsing experience.” Other industry insiders are not as positive. While they predict that Apple will eventually approve the application, they see it happening only after an extended and exhaustive review period.
Opera’s hopes may depend heavily upon the FCC’s ongoing review of Apple’s policies based on allegations of anti-competitive practices, brought forth by Google. Their allegations of unfair practices were based on Apple’s initial rejection of the Google Voice Application. If the FCC puts the pressure on Apple to play nicely, Opera and, ultimately, consumers may be the big winners.
(Source: Reuters International)
United States Dethroned as World’s Largest Tech User
February 11, 2010 – When people think of the United States, there is often the assumption that everything is bigger, better, and more proliferous. Such being the case, the same should apply to how much and how well technology is used by United States as well, correct? Well, up until 2009, it was. Results of an annual survey released today revealed that Sweden has taken away the number one position from the United States to become the world’s largest user of technology.
The measurement tool, known as the Connectivity Scorecard, was created in 2008 by Professor Leonard Waverman, of the London Business School. The scorecard considers factors such as the technological skills of users and their overall usage of networks, cellphones, and computers. Placing second in last year’s survey, Sweden moved into first place in 2009 and doesn’t appear to be descending any time soon. This is according to Waverman, who commented, “Sweden not only has the best current mix of attributes, but it also shows few signs of losing its lead.”
Waverman also indicated that the gap between lower ranking countries and the U.S., in terms of technology education and skills, continues to narrow. Of the developed countries list, Hungary, Greece, and Poland held the lowest positions in the survey. The survey also examines the progress of developing countries, as well. This year’s list a developing countries has Malaysia in first place and South Africa in second.
The complete list of results, as well as a very detailed explanation of what and how the survey measurements are conducted, is available on the official website for The Connectivity Scorecard.
Reference: The Official Website for the Connectivity Scorecard
(Source: Reuters Sweden)
A Few More Things You Should Know About Buzz
February 10, 2010 – After spending some time testing out Google’s latest innovation, Buzz, we’ve put together a short list of things you should know before diving in head-first. These compliment Geek Shui Living’s post from this morning, which is considered (by us anyway) a must-read, as well.
What exactly should you know about Buzz?
There are obviously an infinite number of additional “ease of use” details that aren’t covered here. This list is just based on preliminary benchmarking against Twitter and Facebook. If you know of a way to address any of the issues we pointed out or have anything to add that others might find useful, please let us know via a comment or Geek Shui on Twitter. Good luck to all those who choose to embrace the Buzz!
Why Google Buzz May (or May Not) Be for You
February 10, 2010 – Last night, I had the chance to try out the Google Buzz on my iPhone. The odd thing was (and still is) that I don’t have it available in my desktop browser view of my Gmail account. While Google did advise that it would be rolled out gradually, one would think that, if they had it available on their mobile computing platform of choice, it would, by default, also be available in the traditional browser view. That minor issue aside, I took the time to set up my profile via my iPhone and set it up for use.
Read the rest of this Geek Shui Living article on MWD, by clicking on the Google Buzz image below:
