Leveling: Not Just for Gaming Anymore
Gaining experience to level up is one of my favorite things about playing RPGs. Seeing my progress and knowing I’m that much closer to equipping that really awesome armor I looted is very rewarding and motivating. Now imagine if that concept wasn’t just virtual reality, but reality. As the gamer and social networking generation enters the “real world”, it might be time for educators and employers to rethink ways of motivating their students and employees.
Green Technology: What Do I Do With My Old Cell Phones?
I have a habit of giving my old cell phones to my younglings for their playtime enjoyment. The other day as I was doing my yearly sweep of their toy box, I unearthed and amazing seven used cell phones! My guilt of disposing of these big hunks of plastic in a receptacle had accumulated to an embarrassing amount. This made me think of unimaginable amount of computer parts, cell phones and chargers that are manufactured and disposed of every year.
In addition to the enormous amount of waste accumulated, these devices are made of toxic materials that seep into our soil and water, and pollute our planet. What’s actually in these things that is so bad for the environment?
AT&T 3G MicroCell Review: Bringing More Bars to Your Places
In the past many AT&T customers have been perplexed as to why they could never reach the coveted “five bar” status in their home, office, or other structure. While I’m one of the lucky few people who works within 100 yards of a cellular tower, I am not so lucky at home. It’s routine for me to go from three bars to one bar, by simply crossing the room. AT&T’s femtocell device, the 3G MicroCell, is designed to resolve this frustrating problem.
A small box designed to work like your typical Wi-Fi router, femtocell transmits cellular signals that cell phones with AT&T service can use to increase the reception in indoor spaces. How does it work? Customers simply connect the femtocell to their home’s broadband modem. The innovation in the technology is that the femtocell actually picks up the signal, from your cell phone and transmits it through your broadband internet connection. From there, your modem’s wireless access point broadcasts the cellular signal. Essentially, your broadband modem just became a pint-sized cellular tower.
Netflix Phases Out Friend Feature, Makes This Netflixer Sad
Netflix’s Vice President of Product Management, Todd Yellin, clarified that with the new changes to the Movie Display Page they will be phasing out the Friends Feature. He stated that the Friends feature was used by less than 2% of Netflix subscribers and the move is to free up resources “to support and maintain the things that benefit all Netflix members as the service evolves – more devices for streaming and better encoding, for example.”
I’ve always felt the Netflix Friend feature was a buried gem in the Netflix interface. I enjoyed seeing what my friends were watching and found it interesting to see who I was most compatible with movie-wise. So, needless to say, I’m sad to see this feature go. But I think the reason the feature was little-used was because it wasn’t very user-friendly.
Landlines: The Drama of Tracing a Phone Call
The cops are looking for a kidnapper. They can't locate him. The only lead they can get is to trace his call when he calls making demands. They've got to keep him on the line until the trace is completed. Or do they?
Is Apple Selling a Contract-free iPhone in Preparation for the 4G Release?
This morning, the internet is abuzz with the news that an internal Apple (AAPL) document proves the iPhone is available for purchase, without the requirement to enter into an immediate contract with the smartphone’s exclusive carrier, AT&T (ATT). According to a document obtained and posted by the tech news website, Gizmodo, customers will be able to purchase one iPhone per day, without showing identification (You know. For the universal iPhone owner database.) or signing a painful contract with AT&T.
Read the full Geek Shui Living article on MWD Technology News, by clicking on the image below.
Osfoora for Twitter: A Review of Features in Version 1.2.0.1 for iPhone
After reading Justin E. Gehrke’s recent review of the Tweetie 2 application for iPhone, I purchased Tweetie 2 and installed it on my iPod. I have to admit that I found its plentiful features very impressive, so much so, that I switched from using Echofon to Tweetie 2 as my primary Twitter app of choice. And yet, there are some things about Echofon that I miss in Tweetie 2, such as being able to select from a list of people that I follow when composing tweets.
I still haven’t found that single Twitter app that does everything I want to, though. That is I hadn’t until I found Osfoora for Twitter….
Online Reference: How Science Fiction Failed Us
So last time, we talked briefly about how the Internet opened the window to the world, bringing the far corners right to our monitors in the safety and comfort of our own home/office/Internet Café. Since we’ve already dealt with the horror of anonymity, I thought I’d address another Internet-specific issue that highlights just how Science Fiction failed to prepare us for the technology we stole from it.
So when was the last time you asked a geek a question. Really think about it. Being a geek myself, I can say that lately, questions have only revolved around my IT expertise. I can remember a time when being a “know-it-all” was a geek badge of honor. You had specialists, like the Trekkie, who could pelt you with minutia on a subject until your brain was screaming for release. I knew a guy in High School that if you gave him a number between 1 and 79, he could tell you which episode of ST:TOS it was, who wrote and directed it, who the guest stars were, if any, and when the show aired. Me? I was a generalist. I know a little bit about everything. Want to know who the kings of Rome were (did you even know Rome had kings)? I’m your man. Want to know why the sky is blue? I have an answer for that.
Google Heeds the Call to “Get the Hell Out” of China
On Friday, Geek Shui Living reported that a decision could come as early as Monday, regarding a decision by Google (GOOG) to shut down its China operations. It appears the speculation was true. This afternoon, Google posted a blog on the Google Press page that explained their decision to stop censoring their search services. They explain that this was achieved by redirecting http://Google.cn requests to http://Google.com.hk, which is located on servers in Hong Kong. Redirected users will still see the site in simplified Chinese, just as they had on the site previously hosted in China.
Defending their position, the Google blog states, “We want as many people in the world as possible to have access to our services, including users in mainland China, yet the Chinese government has been crystal clear throughout our discussions that self-censorship is a non-negotiable legal requirement.”
Win a $25 iTunes Gift Card in the Second Geek Shui Living “Virtual Karma Counts” Contest
Today registration begins for Geek Shui Living’s second “Virtual Karma Counts” contest. What’s up for grabs this time? Nothing less than a $25 iTunes Gift Card. What are the requirements? It’s simple. To qualify to win, all you have to do is complete the following simple steps:
- Follow @GeekShui on Twitter
- Tweet or retweet the following: “@GeekShui taught me Virtual Karma Counts. Follow & retweet to win a $25 iTunes Card. http://bit.ly/VirtKarma #GeekShui”
The contest begins today, March 22, 2010. Registration closes Thursday, March 25, 2010, at 12:00 PM EST. One lucky winner will be selected the very same day! Make sure you read the detailed rules below, because attention to detail also counts.
That’s it. It couldn’t be any easier than that. So, don’t wait. Log on, Follow In, & Tweet to Win. Do it today because, after all, free stuff is cheap!
