Okay, in order to truly understand Diaspora, we have to step into the time machine and go ALL the way back to the beginning of Spring 2010… Okay, sarcasm with subside as of now. Anyways, at the height of the controversial security problems Facebook was having earlier this year, a group of NYU students decided to stop complaining and did something about it.
What started as a summer project looking for $10,000 in funding has ended up becoming an online phenomenon and the foursome of developers Hell-bent on creating an open source social network have actually raised $100,000. The result is still a bit of a mystery, but we’re all waiting to see what Diaspora can do and how different this social experience could be.
The NYU kids have been working all Summer to try and release a beta version of Diaspora and they’ve finally come out with a public release date. September 15th will mark the launch of Diaspora and with it, a ton of expectations.
Google has launched a North American feature for Gmail account holders that allows us all to take full advantage of Google Voice. Google Voice is a program developed for Gmail account holders to make phone calls straight from their accounts complete with video capability. Does this sound familiar to anyone? Does this sound like a little Oprah endorsed product we call Skype? Even just a little? Well, your not alone in your speculation, but before you jump to the conclusion that Google is trying to take them down let’s look at what Google Voice is.
Firstly, Google Voice is supposed to be part of the entire Google experience. Not only can users log in to their email accounts, they can check anaylitcs of their sites, create their own homepages and stay up to date with their financial portfolios. As of right now, you can think of Google Voice as just another thing Google is adding to the mix.
Secondly, there is a rumor (and that’s all this is right now) that in the coming months Google plans to release a major social networking platform. If they have all of the communication technology in place before they slap on a look and a feel, they are already thinking the right way.
So, with knowing all of this, I don’t think it’s Skype that should be trembling, it’s Facebook.
Alright, to be fair, Justin Bieber shows up only as #46 on the list of dangerous subjects to search, but a detailed report from McAfee is saying that we should all be careful when searching for subjects like celebrities. Specifically the most dangerous subject being searched online today is “Cameron Diaz,” as one in ten sites that come up as a result of the search could contain dangerous infecting malware.
Malware is one of those dangerous computer viruses that we should all be on the look out for. The unfortunate reality of malware is that it is more or less undetected meaning we should pay special attention to these reports being done by anti-virus software companies.
In this strange world of infected sites dedicated to celebrities, Diaz has replaced 2009 champion Jessia Biel. Other notable names on the danger list include Julia Roberts, Brad Pitt, Obama and now Justin Bieber.
By now most of us are aware of High Definition. It’s been floating around the airwaves and the technology space for some time now and as we jettison into the future, we can assume that most (if not all) media will be presented in this amazingly crisp format. But what you might not be aware of right now is the scam that some technologies are pulling just to squeeze out a few more bucks.
When you’re deciding on a brand new television or monitor and you become amazed with the picture quality, keep in mind that this is only possible if you have the necessary cables; specifically a cable called an HDMI. This much is true, but nothing beyond this is. Be careful of the salesman trying to unload an expensive cord by confusing you with technical jargon that essentially means nothing. Specifically, pay not attention when they mention something like “Refresh Rate.”
The truth of the matter is that there are only 2 types of HDMI cables; that being Standard and High Speed. The only thing consumers like us really need to understand is which cable my new television/monitor can handle. If it can handle High Speed, then that is the best you can get. If not, then there’s nothing wrong with standard. As for name-brand cables, don’t be fooled. Other than Standard and High Speed, there is really no difference between brands as all had to pass through the HDMI Licensing agreement.
This is just a simple warning to all of those out there looking to invest in a new media centre. You’ll be presented with tons of questions regarding lifetime, quality and function, but one thing remains, do not get scammed into overpaying for an HDMI cable.
One of the big questions in web design and development these days is how to get users to quickly share content without really having to think. In the past there have been hacked solutions such as persuading people to install Facebook and Twitter applications from the user side, but the results were slightly skewed as it takes some getting used to in order to fully take advantage of browser functionality.
Twitter has recognized this and instead of creating a quick solution with one single goal, they have released a brand new button that can be implemented onto any site with multiple purposes. Not only will it allow users/readers to quickly share content without having to install anything on their browser, it can also be used as a tracking tool for site developers.
Now the question is how to place the button in areas of the site that are share-worthy. I have no doubt that there will be multiple online experiences that will over-expose the Twitter’s new button and the smart online companies will be able to use the function correctly.
In all of the online conversations arguing about the benefits and drawbacks of the iPhone 4 and the Android among other touch-inspired smartphones, we seem to have forgotten about the latest iteration of Blackberry – that being the Blackberry Torch. Released just a little while ago, the Torch has been flying under the radar a little bit. But after reading through a few reviews and actually using one, the consensus is this:
If you’re a Blackberry enthusiast – meaning you currently use, or have used a Blackberry before and liked the functionality – then the Torch is actually quite a nice smartphone. It has maintained a lot of what Blackberry users love about their device such as the high quality sound features, the instant access to email and a consistently strong signal.
On the flip side, if you are an iPhone or touch screen enthusiast then the Torch is nothing more than the next RIM product for you to make fun of.
Specific features/improvements to the Torch include a higher resolution screen, 3G tethering capabilities and 5 mega-pixel camera, but one of the things that has even Blackberry fans angry about is the concaved keypad. Blackberry was able to make a name for themselves by always including a full keyboard where the buttons could be pressed – unlike the iPhone where buttons are touched. With the Torch, Blackberry seems to have gone in a completely new direction by making the keypad flat. User still press the buttons, but it is straying away from the original.
All in all, the Torch actually is the best Blackberry available, but if you’re not a Blackberry user this essentially means nothing.
Will Ferrell is widely known for his comedic acting and his brilliant work as part of the cast of Saturday Night Live. He’s gone on to star in his own successful film franchises like Anchorman, Elf, Step Brothers and most recently The Other Guys opposite Mark Wahlberg. With his acting credits reading like an encyclopedia of modern day comedy, Ferrell can now add respected journalist to his repertoire.
Ferrell, also one of the creators of the successful video site Funny or Die, recently contributed a great article to Wired that can be found here.
Wired asked Ferrell to use his voice to help explain what he believes should have gone into production by now in terms of technology and science. His article explains how the world should have already discovered ways to create Dog Translators, Food in Pill Form, Nuclear Spaceships, and the expansion of Nanotechnology.
Have a read through Ferrell’s article here to see if you would agree. In the end, I think we’ve come a long way, but according to Ferrell, we’ve still got a long way to go. What do you think he’s missing from his list?
The last few weeks in the world of personal technology have been huge in terms of the mobile world. Not only has a ton of the world already embraced the idea of the iPhone 4, but they have opened up their wallets as well. But where did all of this come from? When and where did the brains behind Apple conceive these ideas that have seemingly shaped the way we think about personal technology?
Well, without putting you through a 4-day seminar on the history of Apple, Steve Jobs and the creation of well known devices like the iMac, iPhone and iPod go ahead and check out this historical infographic below. It not only explains the time line, but also some interesting details on the names of some of the products.
When Lady Gaga announced that she would be taking a creative role in how Polaroid would begin to present themselves in the public eye, we all were a litte bit skeptical to say the least. Sure, famous creative folks have talent, but do they really understand marketing and entertainment from a business side? Well, if Justin Timblerlake’s work for 901 Tequila Shots is a sign of things to come from famous musicians in creative CEO positions, then he’s set the bar extremely high.
Check out the latest spot for 901 Tequila Shots below to see how the former N*Sync star did in his directorial debut. It’s actually not bad and he’s definitely got some sexy inspiration to help him along the way. Timberlake worked with the Martin Agency to put together a series of spots that adds an extremely racy element to the brand.
Apple’s signature browser Safari is finally throwing themselves in the applications game as the latest update allows users to install applications to help with their daily browsing activities. Like most browsers nowadays, Safari is now enabled for people to start downloading and using tools such as Twitter and Rotten Tomatoes. Although Apple and Safari are far behind the leaders in browser extensions like Firefox, these new capabilities are a vast improvement from before. Users can now instantly update things like search extensions and helpful add-ons that make the browsing experience seamless and more efficient. One in particular is called TabKeys that allows you to assign certain keyboard shortcuts to allow you to quickly access a particular feature within the browser.
Although Apple is far from equaling browsers like Chrome and Firefox in terms of the amount of extensions available, one of the things that separates Safari from the rest is the installations process. Apple looked as though they focused on the experience of downloading extensions and the specific need for them rather than the sheer amount. One of the great things about Safari extensions is the “extensions gallery.” The gallery allows users to easily navigate through the many extensions available, but Apple has made the experience of looking for the correct ones a lot simpler by categorizing.
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