You be the judge!

For those of you gamers out there, I'm sure that you are aware of the recent releases of the PS4 (released last week) and Xbox One ( released today).  Well being a gamer myself, I have been waiting to see what all the hype is all about between the two products and which one is better. Ever since the news was released about these two products there have been debates about which one is the best or will be the best. After all the debates I am ready to see which one is best and decide on which one I will become an owner on.

Up until this point I haven't decided on the best option; and I'm sure a lot of people feel the same way.   Mashable came up with a great idea that I think may be able to help make the decision process easier. In the article below Mashable came up with the idea to compare both game consoles side by side. They compared everything from the game console itself all the way to the changes in game case. They also showed the differences in controllers and headsets between the two.

I have not gotten a chance to get a first hand look at the newly released consoles but from what I heard through social media is that people are impressed with both and are happy with their purchase. I have played games on both older generations the PS3 and Xbox 360, and have personally liked the 360 more. After looking at the comparisons though, the PS4 does strike my interest more than the Xbox one; but that's my personal opinion. So you be the judge, check out the article http://on.mash.to/1aVHY3B and make your decision!

Soon, You'll be Able to Make a First Class Phone Call

Do you love traveling as much as I do? if you do, then you probably hate being disconnected from your smartphone as much as I do. The hours of not being able to make phone calls, text, or refresh your Twitter feed is agonizing, I know.

While this may seem like a classic "first world problem" there are many instances where our job does require us to be readily available at all times. This includes when you're over 10,000 feet in the air. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is working with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to allow passengers to use cellphone/smartphone devices while in aviation.

Of course this only applies to the U.S. however, I feel that this is remarkable in the world of technology. It suggests more than just the technology that the airplanes will need in order to give mobile devices the proper reception, but it speaks volumes on society from a technological standpoint. I think it shows our deep dependency on technology and how attached we are. Moreover, how integral it is for everyday functionality.

Next time you're on your flight and you remember all the calls you have forgotten to return but wish you could make them while sitting on a plane for hours on end, no fear, because you may be able to soon.

Check out the full article here!

Google Goes for a Walk in the Woods

Google has grown so much since its humble beginning as a simple search engine. There is now Google docs, mail, news, calendar, maps, Google glass and much more. It is always growing and evolving as a company making new innovations all the time. The most recent however, is being able to see street view images from national parks. There are now 360 degree shots of beautiful places in just about every National Park in the United States. You could be sitting on your computer in New York City but experience views from California's Sequoia National Park just by a click of a button.

Google has now provided a way for people to experience many of the beautiful wonders of the world through their computer monitor. This sounds great at first, everyone being able to experience these views, but isn’t this going slightly too far? I say the answer to that question is yes.

I am a pretty avid hiker myself and have experienced some of these beautiful slights with my own eyes. I think that providing these trail view images of National Parks takes away from their beauty and mystery. Yes I think it is nice that Google has provided away for those who can’t physically go to these places themselves to see these views, but I think this going too far. There is something to be said for actually going to these places yourself.  You can’t truly experience such wonders by looking at a bright screen.

Check out the article here:

http://mashable.com/2013/11/22/google-street-view-national-parks/          

More to The iPad Then Meets The Eye

The iPad has become much more than just a tablet for fun.  It has become an incredible tool that can be used in strenuous line of work.

There is a new page on the Apple website called "Life on iPad".  The page features stories of people using the iPad for their projects.  Some of the stories featured are an engineer at work, and a liver transplant going underway.

Nowadays it's almost impossible to imagine life without tablets.  They are all such a well rounded product that can be used for almost anything.  If someone has one they love it, and if they don't they are dying to get their hands on one!

Ipad's positioning on their product is brilliant.  It shows the versatility on the product giving it cutting edge on its competitors.

Apple has released its Apple iPad Air which is its most recent iPad and is an incredible piece of technology.  I would expect the iPad Air to be one of the hottest items to sell this Christmas.

It is important to realize these iPad's really are tools and not just toys.  More and more everyday technology is rewriting the history books, and the iPad is one of the authors.

Check out more on this article here!      

F.C.C. To Allow Cell Phone Use on Flights?

On November 21st, the FCC announced that they would consider changing rules to allow passengers to use cell phones or other wireless-data devices on flights. However, the change must be placed the agenda for commission's meetings on December 12th. Therefore, the officials at the meeting can discuss the change, and come up with a result. 

This change can increase the satisfaction of passengers on their flights. However, some passengers eye the use of cell phones or any wireless data devices as a distraction. Some airlines in Asia and Europe offer cell service. Airlines in the United States are opposing the use. Some flight attendants have met with the FCC and urged them "Not to proceed with the proposal. (Wyatt/Bilton)" 

FCC officials are working to create a happy median with the supporters and the opposition of the proposal. They have mentioned installing equipment that at 10,000 feet would allow passengers to access mobile devices. Tom Wheeler, the chairmen of the FCC, thinks this proposal should be passed mentioning: “Modern technologies can deliver mobile services in the air safely and reliably, and the time is right to review our outdated and restrictive rules, (Tom Wheeler)” 

I think the proposal to allow passengers to use mobile devices is a good idea. I agree with Wheeler, that if we have the ability to use it, and use it with the assurance of safety, than I think it is a good idea to accept the proposal. I feel many people would approve of this, and increase the satisfaction of the flight. 

I can also understand the oppositions point of view on the proposal. Passengers have very limited areas of space, and i can see it being a problem when another passenger is invading in your personal space, when trying to use a mobile device. However, I don't see this as a strong enough factor to deny the proposal.

Below is a link of the story

http://nyti.ms/1jrxAG2

Businesses Expanding their Advertisments to Social Media Platforms

Nowadays we see advertising everywhere we go, from billboards to TV commercials. When it comes to advertising, it's assumed that we will expect the unexpected. Some companies go so extreme for advertising that it's almost not a shock to see out of the ordinary strategies anymore.

Businesses are even going as far as advertising on the social media platforms that teens are constantly on today, desperate for that extra 10 seconds of getting their product out there.

Snapchat, Instagram, and even Vine are being used to advertise nowadays. This could be a great strategy, especially since it's highly uncommon for people to actually sit and watch TV commercials. Most people go on their phones and browse their apps during these times, so it only makes sense to include these mediums for advertising.

"Snapchat images and video are available to users only for a short time, which is what makes marketing on the platform both risky and appealing," stated Amy Birch for Social Media Today. I think this is a good point; with the way our world is technologically advancing, users are more likely to watch a 6 second video rather than a 60 second one, so why not expand to a platform where you're likely to get more views?

 

See the full article here:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/capitalonespark/2013/11/21/snapchat-instagram-and-vine-for-social-media-marketing/

Snapchat Turned Down A $3 Billion Offer From Facebook...Now What?

Image: Mashable.com Left: Snapchat CEO Evan Spiegel Right: Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg

On Wednesday, November 13, 2013, the ephemeral photo messaging app Snapchat turned down a massive $3 billion offer from Facebook to purchase the company. You might be saying to yourself, "WHAT?" However, before we marvel at the massive offer from Facebook, let us first consider the facts.

First of all, Snapchat is currently neck and neck with Facebook in one key metric: photos shared daily. According to Business Insider, Snapchat users reportedly send 400 million "snaps" daily. This number has drastically increased from 200 million "snaps" in June. In comparison, Facebook users share on average 350 million photos per day. To add perspective to this number, Snapchat currently has considerably fewer users than Facebook meaning that as Snapchat's user base continues to grow the amount of photos shared daily will increase exponentially. This situation comes down to the classic phrase, what's better: a bird-in-the-hand or a bird-in-the-bush? Snapchat truly must believe the bird-in-the-bush is bigger. The chart below shows the breakdown of top photo-sharing sites.

On a different note, we must consider the draw and user base of Snapchat. Photos shared on Snapchat leave no trace. They are inherently and fundamentally ephemeral. Due to this nature, Snapchat developed a reputation as an easy and "safe" way to send sexually explicit photos. At the same time the app gained users understanding it as a fun and easy way to share photo messages. Snapchat could easily build a business out of its niche audience of teens and "sexters." However, if they want to build a business that is considered at a value four times greater than Instagram, they need to continue to attract new users and keep them there.

Tornado Victims Find Their Lost Items Through Facebook

A Facebook page has been created to help the victims of the tornado's get their belongings back. The name of the Facebook page is PHOTOS found from Nov. 17, 2013 Illinois Storms/Tornadoes. The Facebook page helped a couple that has been married for over 40 years find their 40th wedding anniversary photo.

The photo ended up in a backyard over 80 miles away from the Doolan's house in Washington, Illinois. The person that found the photo put it up on the Facebook page where a friend of the family saw it. The friend ended up contacting the Doolan's daughter to tell her that she saw her parents photo on the Facebook page. This was the first successful match using the page.

By using the Facebook page, many more victims were able to find their belongings again. This also showed how far some of the things in the storm had traveled. A victims paychecks ended up about 140 miles away from their residents.

There have been many more success stories from the use of this Facebook page and I am sure that there will be many more to come. Facebook has become not only a social media website, but now it has become a way for victims of tragedies to be reunited with their precious belongings.

Read the full article here!

Smartwatch?

Not only do we have smartphones, but now for a limited time Qualcomm Toq is releasing a smartwatch! This limited edition device can be found on their website starting December 2nd, 2013 priced at 349 dollars!

This product will not be part of the companies full new-product category, however, Qualcomm Toq has not stated when they will stop producing it once they start. The company stated in a blog post that the smartwatch will be able to sync phone calls and even apps to your wrist! It is also said that the design will be a low-energy Miasol screen that will be use able and visible in the sunlight. The screen will be reflective as well.

This device will not have any buttons on it, but it will be touch screen and that will be able to activate features. Just like a phone, the watch will have notifications for texts, calls, alarms, etc. This device does not only differ in the fact that it is on your wrist but that it can got as long as 5 days with out needing to be recharged!

It is amazing to me that technology has come this far! I am interested to see if this smartwatch will be a big hit or not and if it is a big hit if the company will make it a full time product instead of a limited edition.

To see more about the smartwatch, check on the videos posted on mashable.
 http://mashable.com/2013/11/18/qualcomm-toq/

Winter Wonderlabs

Interactivity seems to be a top priority for many people today. For us the issue is developing an amazing interactive multimedia presentations for the semester. At the same time companies are hunting for ways to be interactive and promote products.
Google is a top tech company and for this holiday season they have created a new marketing experience. Winter Wonderlabs are popping up across the United States as a place for consumers to play with the newest Google gadgets in one place. Currently there are Winter Wonderlabs located in New York City, Washington DC, Chicago, Los Angeles, New Jersey, and Sacramento.

Inside the Winter Wonderlabs consumers can enjoy such products as the Nexus 7, Chromebook, Google Chromecast, and Google Play. This is meant to be a totally involved setting and to give it extra value Google added such features as virtual snow and  the snow globe experience. These bonus features are a great way to show the companies use of technology and entice people to come in and explore.

I think that this is a great idea. Google is a well known company and this is a way for them to stay on the minds of shoppers this holiday season. There are tons of people who love the holidays and I am certainly included in that category. If I was to see one of these labs there would be no stopping me from looking inside. It's creative ideas like this that give companies a competitive edge. Plus going the extra mile like this provides great publicity and shows that Google cares what consumers think about the products.

Check out a brief video about this on Mashable!

Youtube Facing Criticism After Comment Section Change

Since Youtube's initial launch in 2005, users have been able to comment on videos in a completely anonymous fashion- that is until last week.  Now, in order for viewers to comment, they must be connected through their Google+ account.  This has been met with heavy criticism  amongst users and the general population.

Youtube initiated the change in an effort to make user interactions with one another more conversational (and less abrasive).  The proposition theorizes that if a comment can be matched to an identity, people will be much more civil in the way they approach the discussion boards.  

If anyone has ever looked at the Youtube comments in the past eight years, there should be no speculation as to why this is happening.  The majority of the discussions consisted of people bashing each other for any number of reasons- race, sexual orientation, etcetera.  I really don't understand the backlash; if people want to have a civil conversation, then it should be a non-issue to disclose one's identity.

In the long run, I believe that Youtube will be commended for this move and it will result in a much cleaner and enjoyable experience for all users.

Social Media 101: A Businesses Guide

Social Media has the potential to be an amazing tool for companies and businesses. It seems so easy, but some companies just can’t seem to grasp social media strategy. So what is the problem? Well most of the time all of the necessary parts are there. The company has an account, and they are active on the social media site, however they don’t post the right type of things.

The main reason that many businesses social media campaigns fail is because they are not communicating with their customers. They don’t facilitate conversation, or do any of the other basic frontline tasks of online customer service. Thankfully for the businesses and companies who do find themselves struggling with social media, the fix for less than perfect social network strategy is simple. Communication is the key! Talking to customers and addressing their tweets, blogs and posts can do a world of difference. Actions like this show the consumer that there’s a human behind the brand!

Personally, I love it when brands and companies tweet at their consumers, as I mentioned previously, it makes the business to consumer relationship seem more personal, thus making me more likely to buy from that brand or company.

So what did we learn? Well we learned that it is important for businesses to communicate and interact on social media in order to have successful outcomes from the sites!

So businesses: Follow this simple advice and you’ll be raking in the social media success in no time!

Do you have to much going on to get groceries?

Ever think you have to much going on that you have no idea how you will be able to get your groceries or be able to grab dinner before you have to catch a cab to the next even on your schedule?

Well wait no longer with the new app Postmates which is live in 3 cities currently you can now go into the app and select the product you want and have it delivered to your current location.  If you want to get groceries you select the store you want, enter your list and within a short amount of time you'll receive a conformation of this sale and the courier goes on their way to collect and bring you your items.  The only thing you must remember is that if you are going to order you must make sure the place is on foursqaure as the app is linked to foursquare. 

I think this is a great concept for those who have a crazy busy schedule, but at the same time it makes me wonder if this is what the world is coming to that someone can't go outside to get there own groceries, and it makes me wonder if this is why the world is becoming more and more overweight.  Does anyone else wonder this?

http://mashable.com/2013/11/13/postmates/

Breaking News Notifications from Twitter Cause Confusion

This past Wednesday, many people were confused as to why they were getting notifications from Twitter. After a shooting near a high school in Pittsburgh, the social networking site sent out an alert via mobile device. Twitter users received the update even if they were not subscribed to the news alert service. People were confused as to why they were receiving the notification. Many were sending out tweets complaining about the updates.

Even though some people received the alert without being subscribed to the service, Apple has made it so you can disable the notifications in your settings if you are using iOS 7. The only way you will receive push notifications from Twitter is if you have the setting enabled.

Personally, I do not have a problem with getting notifications about breaking news. I would like to know what is going on in the country if something big is happening. What do you guys think?

Check out more tweets and more about the article here.

Photo from www.buzzfeed.com

Facebook app that creates status's for you

A team in the US has created an app that can make your Facebook status for you if you are too busy to do so! It works by mixing up all of your previous status's and then putting them back together in a way that makes some sense. The app even makes the status's so they sound like you, or at least how you are precieved on twitter. There isnt a database that keeps all of your information, but it's all done through your browser that can see your post history.
The creators of this app were graduates from Princton who were just creating it for something fun to do, but then realized that it was getting a lot of attention. The app is free to use, but they decided to ask at the bottom to consider donations to the Phillipines.

I think that this app is a neat thing to have for a Facebook status if you are just joking around. Obviously the status that the app creates isn't going to be meaningful or thoughtful or reflect how you are at the moment that you're posting. It would be fun to see what friends would say to the status or how people would respond, but using the app for every status would probably get annoying and be a little overboard. Status's are usually made to inform people on yourself or things you are interested in and by posting something like this it would just be random statements and words from previous times that wouldn't mean anything. If I saw people use this app I would laugh for the first couple of times and maybe even comment, but eventually after seeing it too much I would probably just skip right by.

For more information on this new Facebook app, check out this site!
 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/what-would-i-say-the-app-that-generates-facebook-statuses-so-you-dont-have-to-8937575.html

Scanadu Scout

The Scanadu Scout is a real-world device inspired by Star Trek's tricorder (a multifunction hand-held device used for sensor scanning, data analysis, and recording data) and it is closer to becoming a reality.

The handheld scanner measures a patient's vital signs like heart rate and temperature as well as oxygenation and respiratory rate. It is able to read these signs in seconds before it transfers the data to a patient's smartphone. Individuals may perceive this as a way to replace doctors, but it is not the intention of the device at all. The intention is to provide patients with additional data about their health without the hassle of having to make and go to a doctors appointment or to wait forever in an emergency room and spend loads of money.

Doctor's will continue to serve the purpose that they always have especially with regards to actually analyzing the data, and users can share their newfound data with their doctors directly from the app that accompanies the Scanadu Scout. This creates convenience and timeliness but unfortunately, the Scout is not ready for the public.

I'm unsure as to how much this device would cost but I have a feeling it would be a little on the pricey side. If it was a manageable price, I would absolutely be interested in buying this device. It would be convenient for me because I hate going to the doctor and even though I like my doctors as individuals, it's typically difficult to schedule an appointment within a current time frame. It would be nice to not wonder what is wrong with me and rather be able to use the device to let me know what is wrong so that I don't have to worry and can just let my doctor know what the problem is. I'm all about convenience and doing things with urgency, therefore, this device would certainly be for me and I would recommend others look into it as well.

Facebook Tries to Buy Snapchat

Within this past week social media leader Facebook tried to buy one of the newest apps taking storm, Snapchat. Snapchat is relatively only two years old, but has been getting negative publicity about it's use. Many critics say that Snapchat is mainly used for the term "sexting".
Facebook supposedly offered Snapchat $3 Billion dollars to buy them out, but Snapchat refused. Snapchat's refusal to be bought out by Facebook is making headlines considering Facebook is one of the top social media guru's.
In my opinion, Snapchat should've accepted the offer because it seems like the app is becoming one of those apps that in time will be forgotten. Snapchat earlier in the year seemed to sky rocket when people began to find out about it, but now it seems like no one uses it anymore. I think it will ultimately fade out like Vine has when it was once the popular app. Recently, Snapchat added a storyline photo option where users can put a video or picture as their "life story". Ultimately, this seemed like a choice by the company to try and make Snapchat stay popular. To me, it was an overall fail because it didn't really change anything. If Snapchat were to have taken the offer from Facebook, they might of had a better chance at not fading out. I think Facebook could've helped Snapchat out with updates and new features that would keep people interested in the app rather than stop using it. Mark Zuckerberg seems to know what he's doing so, I think it's a big mistake for Snapchat to turn down his offer to them. Facebook bought Instagram last year and Instagram is still on top.
More on this topic of how Facebook tried to buy Snapchat can be found on Forbes.

The Invisible Helmet…Sort of

Often times, when we think of new technological inventions we usually do not think how it could possibly save thousands of lives.

When design students Anna and Terese decided to come up with a revolutionary product for one of their classes, they made the impossible, possible.

Riding bicycles is large part of their culture, and bicycle safety is an important matter. They wanted to find a way to stay safe when riding their bike without the uncomfortable and bulky traditional helmet.

That is why they invented a product no one had ever come up with before. This product would keep bicycle riders safe, comfortable and even somewhat stylish. The 'The Invisible Helmet' as it has become known as, uses technology to react when those wearing it get hit. It inflates much like an airbag you would find in a car, and surrounds the head of the bicyclist, protecting them from injury.

I think this is a revolutionary product that people will actually want to wear. Making helmets more comfortable, fashionable and smart will ensure the safety of more people. There are potential problems, such as a non-reactant helmet, but I believe they will become millionaires one day.

Will Twitter Beat Out Storify?

Twitter added another feature to their site! People now have the ability to make custom timelines. People can make timelines around particular events and other users tweets and topics. This new custom timeline from Twitter resembles quantities from another site, Storify.

"Whether you want to collect the best Tweets about a TV show or help people find the latest information about fast-moving real-time situations, custom timelines let you give everyone a place to follow along," said by Brian Ellin, who is the product manager for the Twitter platform.

Twitters can do this by using the Twitter API. People have been able to do this since the users have been able to create custom columns of content. Now however, these columns are now portable. This resembles a site we have used in class called Storify in that the custom timelines will be fully embeddable.

This application for Twitter is not yet available for all users but it is said that it will be over the next few days.

However, Storify still has some advantage over Twitter's custom timelines and that it that Storify's custom timelines can incorporate Facebook and other sites while Twitter's cannot.
There is still a question on which will be used more or become more popular seeing as Twitter is already a more popular site than Storify, especially for younger users.

Toyota FV2 Concept Car

It's true that many people develop bonds with their cars. What if that bond became mutual? Toyota's Japanese firm believes that bond will improve people's driving experiences. Is this possible? Can a car read my mind?

While preparing for the 43rd Tokyo Motor Show, Toyota has provided a sneak peak at one of its most futuristic designs. The Toyota FV2 Concept Car is said to, "enhance the driving experience by connecting physically and emotionally with the driver, becoming more fun to drive the more it is used". The car will even log all driving activity and history to better accommodate the driver's style of driving. This vehicle will take the liking of a bike mixed with a car with only space for one driver at a time. Unlike a typical car, there will be no steering wheel or pedals. The FV2 will operate similarly to a Segway, meaning leaning forward would accelerate, standing upright would stop the vehicle, so on and so forth.

At this point you are probably wondering how is it even possible that a car could detect your emotions. The FV2 will have the ability to listen to the voice of the driver as well as examine facial expressions. For example if you were mad, the display in the car would turn red and alert other drivers of your mood. The display will also show traffic reports and safety information.

Personally, I think this idea is really far left. Conceptually it sounds cool, but people's driving experiences need to be safe as well. All of the technology that was listed in the article seems more distracting then helpful. Nevertheless, you can decide for yourself. 

Check out the report on the FV2:

http://on.mash.to/18p71Mt

 

If you are interested in trying to simulate the driving experience, download the app:

http://bit.ly/1e1JF44

Twitter's IPO Listed the 6th Largest in the U.S.

As most of us have heard, Twitter had an outstanding first day as a public company. With its stock gaining 73% in that day, it is the sixth largest IPO listed in the U.S.

Stock buyers, seeing what has happened to facebook and other social media sites, wonder whether this will be a permanent gain or just temporary. My guess is permanent. “Twitter is different. It is a complement, not a replacement or disruptor, and it quickly learned to play nice with the big media companies,” Newsweek’s Tim Carmody said in accordance to Twitter being compared to facebook.

I agree with Carmody, twitter does not copy, it does not try to outrun other companies, it is just a simple and effective way for users to interact with each other. I think that because it has increased so vastly it has a very promising future in the world of social media.

Twitter does not only affect people using it for personal use, but it has changed journalism, business interaction, and advertising. Users can follow whoever they like; whether it be their friend from High School, their favorite clothing store, or their idol athlete. In almost every case, there's a Twitter for that.

I don't see twitter diminishing anytime soon because of its user-friendly atmosphere and the variety of people who use it; it's not subject to one specific group of people.

Twitter going public could quite possibly be one of the best things they've done. Now, they will be able to gain an even broader spectrum of users.

See the full article here:
http://www.niemanlab.org/2013/11/this-week-in-review-twitters-ipo-takes-off-and-tech-giants-nsa-backlash/

Twitter's IPO: What you need to know and what's next...

Image: Mashable, Emmanuel Dunand/AFP/Getty Images

The Lowdown:
After months of anticipation, Twitter's IPO (TWTR) hit the New York Stock Exchange on Thursday morning. With the ring of the opening bell, the microblogging site's stock price hit $41.10. This opening was about 73% greater than the company's anticipated target opening price of $26.00 per share announced on Wednesday afternoon. In a nutshell, Twitter's opening day performance went off without a hitch. Their IPO performance stacked up in stark contrast to Facebook's, which opened at $38.00 in May 2012 and closed at $38.23, rising a minimal $0.23. The only downside to the day's performance was that in theory, due to the huge demand for Twitter stock, the company may have left a significant amount of money on the table. Twitter could have (in theory) priced its IPO higher or offered more shares to raise considerably a lot more money. 

What's Next?
Considering Twitter is now officially a publicly traded company, the challenge now exists to produce a sizable return on the investment of their shareholders. This challenge was addressed by CEO Dick Costolo on CNBC's Squawk on the Street: "Twitter needs to get better at the process of 'onboarding' new users who sign up for an account to see what all the fuss is about." In contrast to Facebook, where the user's experience is that of seeing (for example) Halloween snapshots and baby portraits from a variety of friends, family and quasi-acquaintances, Twitter is an outlet whose utility is uniquely customized to users based on their chosen interests. Conveying this message and the ease of use to current and potential users is the sole task of Twitter's marketing team. Considering that the lion's share of Twitter's revenue will be generated from advertising, consumer marketing of the platform itself is essential for the long-term success of the company. This task is positioned against consumer's growing resistance and distaste for intrusive advertising.

Justice Brought to Instagram

Recently, an Instagram profile has been utilized to intimidate witnesses of violent crimes in Philadelphia, Penn.  The hope was it would prevent the witnesses from ever seeing a court room.

The account even praised a firebombing that killed four children and two women.  The account had around 7,900 followers and over 150 photos.

The account has been removed, but no evidence has been presented as to who the account holder may be.

This is an absolutely evil story, no doubt.  We are constantly learning from these tools and the good we can do with them.  It is sickening when we see them being used so negatively.

I would argue their is a slight positive in this story.  Instagram has successfully been able to remove the account and are aiding investigators to track down the menace that was doing these terrible deeds.

It is comforting to see Instagram has a strict policy on bullying and harassment: it will not be tolerated.  In the world we live in today bullying has become a pandemic.  We still see grown men bullying each other in a professional setting, i.e. the Miami Dolphins debacle.  With the world of social media ever expanding we need to make sure we keep the evil doers in check. 

Instagram has handled the situation very well and I think they should deserve a pat on the back for it.  I know other outlets of social media will follow the same, but I encourage others if you spot anything fishy there is no harm in making it aware to the officials.

      

Facebook Loading Error

There was trouble on Facebook today when many users experienced loading errors when they attempted to view their profiles and other pages. As users continued to try to load the pages an error message would appear stating, “Please try again”. This left many user frustrated as this vague message continued to appear after multiple attempts of trying to load the page over and over again. It didn’t take long before users started logging on to their Twitter accounts to vent about issue happening on Facebook.

Facebook officials solved the issue very quickly. A spokesman for Facebook released a statement today at 1:00pm Eastern Time saying "Earlier today, we experienced an issue that prevented some people from loading Timeline or Pages content for a brief period of time. We resolved the issue quickly, and content is back to normal. We're sorry for any inconvenience we may have caused."

I believe Facebook solved this issue quickly and effectively. It was funny to see how people began tweet about the issue on Facebook over Twitter, arguably Facebook’s biggest competition. The issue that Facebook had today was unfortunate but I’m sure officials will not have to worry about losing users over it. On the flipside it looks great for Twitter, which may now look better from a technical standpoint.         

The Future of Apple is your Home

How would you like if you  could turn things and off without moving a muscle?  Or what if the temperature in your house adjusted itself whenever you got home? Well that's what the future of Apple looks to have in store according to the article posted by Mashable below. Although it would take awhile for everything to get going, Apple is looking to control things in your like: security systems, lighting fixtures, kitchen appliances and more. The company even spoke about a predictive element to this idea that would do things such as: turning on your bathroom light after recognizing you got up late at night or your house lights if you were taking your regular path home.

I think this is a great idea that could make life a lot more easier then it is right now. The only thing that would probably present a problem is for the people who don't have any sort of Apple technology in their home or at all. Seeing as how Apple keeps growing I don't think it'll be long before their products are being used by majority of the country if that isn't the case already. It'll be interesting to see how this all pans out and I can't wait to see the finished product.
on.mash.to/1cDagr8

Amazon offering deal to eliminate rivalry

On Wednesday November 6th, Amazon offered a deal to join forces with independent bookstore owners. This deal will allow Amazon to sell their books and give the independent owners a percent of commission of each sale. Amazon sees this opportunity to help fulfill the needs and desires of customers.

However, independent bookstore owners see this as a scam for Amazon to sell their books and earn a bigger piece of the pie. Bill Petrocelli, a co-owner of two independent bookstores in the Bay area says "I seriously doubt that many independent stores will take them up on it."(NY Times) Many bookstore owners don't like Amazon, and see Amazon as distrustful. They see this deal as an attempt to undermine their businesses.

Independents make up about 10 percent of book sales, which is down from 25 percent before Amazon. Jason Bailey co-owner of JJ Books in Washington is one of the independent owners who agreed to the deal had this to say about the offer "I have people coming in with their e-books readers to look at my books and then buy them online (NY Times)." "I may have helped sell the books, but I generated income for someone else, now I have a chip in the game. (NY Times)"

I think that Amazons offer to independent bookstore owners is an insult. Personally I think that this offer helps make Amazon more profit off your books, and leaves you with a small portion. The offer doesn't give the owners enough incentive to agree to it. Amazon is trying to manipulate bookstore owners to make a bigger a profit.

In my opinion, Amazon is trying anything and everything to get their hands on indenpendent bookstore owners books. Amazon is trying to build their empire, and they need more independent bookstore owners to help them build towards that. I don't think many bookstore owners took to kindly to the offer, and I don't think they had to think it over very long before they said no.

Here is the link to the story below

http://nyti.ms/HGaArc

College media experience must include multimedia

  Author's note: This post is being written as part of the latest round in the Carnival of Journalism, a periodic exercise in which a wide variety of authors blog on the same topic with a common deadline. This month's topic addresses how college media organizations should  adapt to the changing journalistic environment. 

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   Author's note II: For JCarn members and other interested individuals who find this post, it is worth noting that it is made in a blog for a class in Multimedia Writing, a course in which students take a deep dive into multimedia storytelling and curation skills. Most of the other posts and comments in this  "Multimedia Musings" blog come from the students as class assignments to blog about interesting and noteworthy developments in the worlds of digital journalism, social media and media technology. Many posts are quite good; please check them out!

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   Student media organizations today must adapt to the changing journalistic environment by adopting a truly "multimedia first" mindset, with students learning cross-platform skills that allow them to create a portfolio of work in text, audio/video and curated materials. Nothing less will prepare them for the world beyond college.
   Part of the prompt suggests we approach this as "advice to college media organizations or as if you were a theoretical adviser or manager of a student news organization." I don't have to do this in any theoretical sense as the prompt suggests, since I am chair of a Department of Media and Communication with a variety of student media organizations. While I don't advise the organizations directly, I'm not exactly shy about giving feedback to the students and the two college staff members who do advise them. Among the things I emphasize:

Multimedia storytelling

 Good writing is essential to journalism and other media genres (e.g. public relations), so learning to work with words and create text is the starting point. But while writing well is a necessary skill to impart a message effectively, it's no longer sufficient for effective storytelling. Working across media, especially in text and video, is crucial.

And so while our institution has distinct organizations for print and online news and for broadcast journalism, students are encouraged to work for both, and many do. A reporter's video packages can appear on the website of either organization, or one reporter's work might be the subject of a print-edition story and a portion of the news broadcast. Students learn from the start to report in multiple media.

In terms of clips, this allows students to create a multimedia e-portfolio of links to online text stories and video packages that show their versatility as storytellers.

Practical application of classroom lessons 

These organizations provide the practical application of what students learn in the classroom, especially through the required Multimedia Writing course (the academic experience with which this blog is associated). The same skills described above -- working in text for online, and in video, and in using both to tell a story with complementary (not redundant) components -- lie at the heart of the course. Curation is emphasized as well.This course is not a "pure journalism" play but nonetheless imparts best practices across all these skills needed for effective multimedia journalism.

Think "digital first"

One of the two most prominent criticisms I've had for the Courier in feedback this year has been, "Why wasn't that story on the Web?" (The other is mechanical errors in the print edition such as spelling, punctuation and grammar errors. I'm pleased to report the students are doing better on both accounts.)

This is a "hard sell" for some students. Working on the print edition has a focused purpose of producing an end-product, very similar to the typical academic experience of gearing up to write a term paper or complete a project by a well-established deadline. It's what they are comfortable doing. This could be why many college media organizations are stuck in an old-school frame of mind (literally). 

But it is necessary for student journalists to escape that comfort zone and learn to think about journalism as a process, rather than a product  (A phrase I can't claim to have originated and have seen associated with, among others, J-Carn's own DigiDave as well as Steve Buttry and Jeff Jarvis.) 

But even though I can't claim the phrase I still try to own it -- and emphasize to the students that it is the mindset that will best prepare them for life in the real world. This applies for a traditional legacy organization, an emerging digital start-up or even a non-journalistic career such as advertising or public relations. After all, a lot of PR these days  consists of working as a "reporter" who "covers" an organization for online presentation of the information to reach the audience directly rather than through the platform of legacy media.

It's been a long time since I've been on the hiring line in a news organization, but when I talk to friends who still are they emphasize the need for today's entry-level news professionals to have this sense of digital-first urgency, cross-platform ability and excellent wordsmithing skills underlying it all. Today's college media organizations need to provide this set of skills if they want to claim they are adequately preparing their students for what lies on the other side of the graduation stage.

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Addendum: Carnival host Pat Thornton already has started to assemble the roundup of this edition's entries. Check them out!