Twitter: More user-friendly? Instagram: Takes Over

  This was a big week for social media networks. There has been changes in Twitter,  Instagram, and Facebook making it more user friendly and trying to be the best social network in the world. There has been a statistic found that Instagram is more popular  than Twitter with active smartphone users. While Facebook is making changes to help redefine their company.

     Twitter is is trying to become the leading social media platform. Earlier this week Twitter made some changes that allow users to post more than one photo in a tweet with out it affecting the amount of characters a person uses for each tweet. Twitter is now allowing four photos per tweet, instead of having to tag your friends in the tweet, Twitter is allowing the user to tag your followers or people you follow within the pictures. I believe this is a great new thing for Twitter, it is still micro-blogging but gives the user the ability to share more of what they want compressed into 140 characters or less.

         Although this is not the first time Twitter made a change similar to the photo share capability. Twitter made the same change with the "Re-tweet" where the user can re-share someones tweet onto there timeline. In the past users would have to manually label a tweet they had liked and wanted to share, by typing a "RT" in front of the tweet. Twitter has become more user-friendly and its goal is to make it more simplistic for newer users who are not familiar with Twitter. 

    While Twitter has made some changes to make their service more popular, a report about Instagram came out this week by a researcher, saying that Instagram has grown to an average of 40.5 million users monthly while for Twitter is 38 million monthly users. When I saw this statistic, it amazes me that Instagram is more popular than Twitter. According to "Information Week", they say that, "Instagram usage in the US has ramped up rapidly and is already maturing, reaching regular usage levels nearly matching Twitter's, particularly on smartphones and among millennials and Gen Xers," the report said. "By the end of this year, almost 25% of US smartphone users will snap a photo, slap on a filter, and share their creations with their friends on Instagram on a monthly basis."

I enjoy using both social media networks, I use Twitter on a regular basis for my news, sports, and friends. The new changes for Twitter is very cool feature and excited to try it out. Some people may disagree and say Twitter is becoming more like Facebook and not keeping it short and sweet, but rather changing the options. Instagram is great too, gives us the opportunity to share our photos with twitter, as a hyperlink in a tweet. My predictions for Twitter and Instagram are that they will continue to make their networks more user friendly and enjoyable for people.

Turkey to Ban Social Media

The nation of Turkey has been engaged in some questionable activity recently namely their ban on social media sites such as Twitter and YouTube. Now there is speculation that Turkey could even go further and ban the use of Facebook as well.

The banning of these social media sites has brought up economic concerns for Turkey, because many believe that without the free use of social media and the right to post on it will hinder Turkeys ability to attract international investors which the country thrives upon.

If Turkey bans social media it would join the likes of North Korea, China and Iran as the only countries to currently do so. Not very good company if you ask me.

Tourism is Turkey is also feared to decrease if this ban is upheld because many tourism spots and hotels depend on technology and without the investments from other nations in Turkey's technological programs they could suffer huge losses.

Ufuk Şanlı, an economy correspondent stated that not only will it hurt Turkey's ability to garner foreign investments but it could also possibly "lead to a decrease in Turkey's credit rating"

So to say the least there are definitely troubled waters in Turkey and it is interesting to see how far social media has come and how big of a factor it has become in terms of economics and business. This goes to show that if you do not embrace social media than you are living in the past and the world will pass you by.

Social Media ban in Turkey

MasterCard #PricelessSurprises Campaign

From March 7th to the 16th in Austin, Texas, MasterCard held its #PricelessSurprises campaign for today's innovators in the world of technology. Catering to the modern startup, the event allowed tech and media entrepreneurs to meet, network, and advance their businesses. MasterCard offered prizes and surprises for cardholders, and they sure were priceless. Especially for the modern day entrepreneur trying to get his or her business off of the ground.

At the event, MasterCard had its unique Twitter-based vending machine. If you are a cardholder with them all you have to do is step up to the machine, send a tweet with the hashtag #PricelessSurprises, and enjoy your reward. What came out of the MasterCard machine ranged from certain pieces of computer hardware to one-on-ones with big-time industry leaders. There was even the chance to have a meeting with the CEO of Mashable, Pete Cashmore.

Sounds like I should become a cardholder with MasterCard soon. I wonder how many people at the event were not original cardholders with them and how many people jumped aboard because of all of the priceless surprises being offered.

MasterCard really hit it out of the park with this campaign and I think that it is a phenomenal idea. Especially in today's society with so many different apps, products, and businesses trying to get started and running, an event like this helps to stimulate the economy and encourage the continuation of innovation. We should also remember that this is huge PR for MasterCard and only benefits them by increasing brand awareness and most likely drawing more and more people to their side, especially future business owners.

I hope that MasterCard continues this campaign because it truly is priceless for some of the ambitious people out there who just need a little spark to get going.


For the full article: http://mashable.com/2014/03/20/priceless-surprises-recap-brandspeak/

Is the New Cloak App Harmful or Helpful?

Recently a new iPhone app was created by Brian Moore 
and Chris Baker to help people avoid their friends or exes.
This app is known as Cloak.  Cloak pulls in the location of
an enemy or exes most recent social media post to ensure you
do not run into them.

There are 3 ways Cloak can track people:

• Contacts
• Instagram 
• Foursquare

Above is how the app appears to its users.  The location of social
media friends appear like little dots moving along a map.

While this app can be seen as a helpful tool to help avoid
frenemies, I feel that it can be very dangerous.  Anyone who
is a friend of yours on Instagram and Foursquare can know
your exact location if they have this app.

We unfortunately live in a society today where people
could use this app to stalk people instead of dodge
them.  In my opinion I don't think the creators fully thought
out just how harmful this app can be.

While the creators do remind people that the app can be abused
and that it is important to monitor your privacy settings, it is still
likely that people will forget to do this, making this app more
harmful than helpful to its users.  

Worst App Ever?

Apple’s “transparent texting” app doesn’t make sense to me at all.  Alex Magdaleno from Mashable says, “On Thursday, Apple secured a patent with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for a “transparent texting” technology that would allow users to see what’s in front of them while looking at their iPhone.”  This technology would replace the white background in the iPhone Message with a live video feed from the device’s rear camera.  This app is absolutely pointless because when you walk and text, your head is down, not up and all your camera would see is the ground.  I have never seen anyone walk and text with their phone directly in front of their face.  This is literally the only way the app would work.  Furthermore, if you were to hold your phone directly in front of your face while walking you would be able to see what is ahead anyway. 

While walking through the halls of St. John Fisher in between classes, I notice almost everyone is glued to their phone.  As soon as class is over, the first thing people do is check their phone.  I remember in Middle School and Hight School the halls were very loud and rambunctious.  Communication back then was mainly face to face.  Now a days the convenience of texting has taken over the way we communicate with peers.  Obviously, I also text and walk but I try and stay aware of my surroundings as best I can.  I do not think this app will help walking and texting at all.  Although, I am interested to see what other apps Apple will integrate with this technology.  But like I said before, I rarely use my phone straight ahead unless I am sitting down.  

http://on.mash.to/1lsVKpk

How Social Media Helps (And Maybe Harms) People With Social Anxiety

Many people criticize that social media has ruined the forms of intimate communication because of the lack of face to face interaction which leads to lack of emotion and therefore, a lack of quality in the conversation. However, what if this form of communication was a good thing? People with social anxiety find themselves compromised when it comes to face to face interaction and many times become unable to keep up with the conversation. This is where social media come in.

With Facebook, Twitter, and texting, those with social anxiety can have long, detailed conversations without the fear of being judged or any other worries that "real" interactions can bring. There are no worries about the right reactions or the need to know exactly what you are going to say immediately. Now, those with social anxiety can have interactions with family, friends, and acquaintances without their phobias getting in the way.

But, face to face interactions for social-phobics aren't completely ruled out. Facebook can also help them prepare for intimate reactions. How? If they are friends on Facebook with, say, a coworker, they can look on his or her profile and see their likes and dislikes. This helps them figure out things that they have in common or things they can talk about and how they will initiate a conversation the next time they see the person in the office. With longer preparation, social anxiety is an easier obstacle to overcome.

However, like, everything, there are negative aspects. Some with social anxiety use social media sites and the internet as a crutch. They become addicted to the internet and may throw away any close relationships or outside goals. They also could use the internet as an escape from the real world, which could be detrimental to some. Like anything, it may have negative results for some. But, for those who are terrified with intimate reaction, minor social media use should not be ruled out.

Links:

Social Anxiety and the Internet: Is the Internet Helpful or a Hindrance? - See more at: http://www.healthcentral.com/anxiety/c/1443/164137/social-anxiety-internet/#sthash.WjxF6Kzb.dpuf

Social Anxiety and the Internet: Is the Internet Helpful or a Hindrance?
http://www.healthcentral.com/anxiety/c/1443/164137/social-anxiety-internet/

Manziel Blows Up Twitter

                                                               Manziel Blows Up Twitter



             On a casual Thursday early afternoon, millions of Americans gathered around the TV to watch Johnny Manziel take the field for his NFL pro day.  As the most iconic player entering the 2014 draft, people took to twitter to express their opinions of how Manziel was doing.

Just finished watching my bro @JManziel2 pro day!! Don’t take him if u want 2. He’s a flat out STAR! Accuracy on point! #StriveForGreatness
— LeBron James (@KingJames) March 27, 2014

With @JManziel2 before his pro day @TAMU. I could have used this helmet in my previous day job. pic.twitter.com/m0QvMR1GHe

— George Bush (@GeorgeHWBush) March 27, 2014

     Not too shabby for a young kid to have a former president and possibly the best athlete in the world to be tweeting about you.  The media has flourished on taking advantage of Manziel's controversial personality, and now no one can stop watching him as he enters the big stage of the NFL.

      Manziel further demonstrated his ability to draw attention from both the public and media by being the first quarterback ever to wear shoulder pads and a helmet to a pro day.  Several ESPN analysts felt that Manziel wearing pads would be starting a trend for other future NFL prospects.  We'll see how that prominent character will fare in the National Football League.

NFL BAN: Celebration Dunks

           As fans of the NFL, we are so used to our favorite players that score touchdowns, taunt in front of the players, stadiums, and the world. Some of the taunts are funny to watch but there has been situations where some of the taunts by players have been disrespectful and almost embarrassing to watch.  Earlier this Tuesday the NFL has added more bans and rules for the NFL,  but people who are against these rules call the league the "No Fun League" because the NFL makes silly rules and regulations that can impact the players, teams, and fans. The NFL will begin to penalize players who dunk the football over the cross-bar of the field goal to celebrate touchdowns this season.

    
         In the past the NFL has tried their continued efforts to turn the touchdowns into more respectful and appropriate celebrations. The head officials of the NFL Dean Blandino released the news to the popular sports radio host Dan Patrick about the ban of dunking the football after scoring a touchdown. Fans across the country will not be very fond of this ban, even some of the NFL players who like to taunt after scoring a touchdown will be upset about this new rule. The New Orleans Saints tight-end is known for the celebration of dunking the football as shown in the short clip below:

    The rule changes in the NFL are mainly designed to increase the players safety during the game such as the head to head contact, or how you can tackle a players. This change is hard for fans and the media to understand. The NFL is supposed to be a fun, and enjoyable time to watch your favorite teams and athletes. A silly rule such as this has impacted the social media society greatly. As soon as the rule was carried out through the media, Twitter began to boom with negative feedback about the new league rule. On Twitter a world-wide popular trend that was trending was the "#NoFunLeague". One of the most popular players of the NFL who was known for touchdowns and dunking for celebrations; Tony Gonzalez was befuddled about this decision. Tony Gonzalez tweeted this about the new rule:

   Fans and players around the league are not in agreement with the new rule. Neither am I. The NFL should be fun, it should allow players to dunk the football because its such a popular taunt around the NFL. The NFL does seem to becoming stricter year in and year out but this issue will soon be forgotten, and players will continue to push the NFL's limits and boundaries on taunting after scoring a touchdown.
 

The Passing of Ralph Wilson

If any of you know me even a little bit you probably know that I am one of the biggest Bills fans ever. I parade around wearing my numerous Bills hats win or lose, during the season and even in the off season. I eat, sleep and breathe Bills Football. So I felt it was only right that I somehow relate this week's post to the late Ralph Wilson.

Ralph Wilson passed away on Tuesday March, 25 2014. I was notified of this sad news at 3:02 PM by my Sportscenter app. I like many Bills fans was deeply saddened by the loss of our only owner in Franchise history and I felt it was only right to say a few words of respect for the Father of Bills Football. I turned to social media and used Twitter and Facebook as my outlet to pay my final respects to Mr. Wilson.


I was happy to realize that when I went on Twitter and Facebook that Mr. Wilson and the Buffalo Bills were trending. Bills fans worldwide were able to express their feelings about Ralph Wilson and send condolences to the Wilson Family. I knew social media was strong before but this was one of the first times that I realized how social media can unite a group of people no matter the distance between them. No matter where you were you could tweet about Ralph Wilson and see the incoming tweets about Mr. Wilson in a matter of seconds. Players and Teams around the NFL also tweeted their support for the Wilson family and the Buffalo Bills and I personally felt like that was a very classy act.

Rest in peace Ralph Wilson. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family.
— Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) March 25, 2014

All of us at the #AZCardinals extend our thoughts and prayers to the @buffalobills family on the passing of owner Ralph Wilson.
— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) March 25, 2014

The thoughts and prayers of #RavensNation are with the @buffalobills family after the passing of owner Ralph Wilson.
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) March 25, 2014

In addition when I was on Twitter last night, trying to find something to write about this week I saw a post from the Bills Mafia twitter page, which is a huge group of Bills Fans that congregate at Bills games and contribute to the Bills community and the Buffalo community for that matter. The post that I saw from the Bills Mafia referenced a tailgate that will take place this Sunday from 1-5 PM in Orchard Park to honor the life of Mr. Wilson. The Bills Mafia announced that it would cost $10 per car and all proceeds would go to the Hunter's Hope Foundation (founded by Jim Kelly for his late son Hunter).

Join us THIS SUNDAY 1-5pm at @HammersLot (4170 Abbott) as we say thank you to Mr. Wilson the best way #Bills fan know how, with a tailgate.
— The #BillsMafia (@TheBillsMafia) March 25, 2014

The news of the ailgate spread like wild fire with hundreds of people confirming that they would go (including me) that the Bills Mafia later tweeted out that they would actually have to change the venue for the Tailgate to a larger venue because so many people are expected to show up. The Tailgate has been moved to The Wings Flight Parking Lot, 3964 California Rd. It will be right behind Ralph Wilson Stadium.

Due to the overwhelming response we’ve received, Sunday’s tailgate to honor Mr. Wilson has been MOVED. New location. Details soon. Please RT
— The #BillsMafia (@TheBillsMafia) March 27, 2014

NEW LOCATION for Sunday's #BillsMafia tailgate in honor of Mr. Wilson. Wings Flight lot on California Rd. Details: http://t.co/lxou9ds7cI
— The #BillsMafia (@TheBillsMafia) March 27, 2014

I know this post does not fully cover the guidelines of what these blogs should look like but this subject is very near and dear to my heart and I wanted to change it up a bit because I not only think that it is important to learn to blog efficiently but as a writer it is also important to be passionate about ones writing and I am proud of the piece that I have developed. Social Media was able to bring all of us Bills Fans together in this time of struggle and we were able to pay our respects and will be able to attend essentially a Ralph Wilson Memorial service on Sunday and I don't know if it would have been possible without the assistance of Social Media being able to connect so many people.

Rest in Peace Mr. Wilson, thank you for giving me the best thing I have ever known and Go Bills!!

pic.twitter.com/jBA9VCa2ye
— Buffalo Bills (@buffalobills) March 25, 2014

Bills Mafia Memorial Tailgate

Buzz over Brad Binder's Bracket

He was close, too bad he didn't even enter the challenge.

This year's March Madness brought in many more brackets than last year's. Eleven million actually, compared to an eight million from last year. Everyone was looking to win that piece of Warren Buffett's wealth...one billion dollars.

According to ESPN, not one bracket has ever been perfectly predicted of the 30 million over 13 years. That makes sense since the probability of actually doing it is approximately 1 in 9.2 quintillion, according to Business Insider. I wondered what a number like that would look like and this is it: 9,223,372,036,854,775,808. Wow.

A man named Brad Binder, from Buffalo Groves Ill., survived until the end of the second round, predicting every winner correctly. Binder's bracket inevitably fell apart when Dayton beat Syracuse on Saturday, but he caused a lot of buzz on Twitter and also increased his follower count from this experience. I actually first saw one of his tweets on my timeline and found out about his bracket afterwords.

Binder admits that he is no "bracketologist."

He even predicted Mercer's victory over Duke...the game that destroyed millions of brackets.

As usual there were people hating him on social media, but he shook it off.

Overall, it was a good run for Binder. He continues to tweet about the tournament and has many people following his account as well as replying to his tweets. Even I'm following him now and I don't even pay attention to sports that closely. Funny how social media works. Maybe next time he'll actually enter the challenge for money.

For the article: http://www.ibtimes.com/billion-dollar-bracket-challenge-latest-anyone-left-perfect-march-madness-bracket-1563098

Google looking to develop a YouTube for kids

YouTube is the most used social media site among teenagers, even more than Twitter and Facebook. Seeing that there is over 6 billion hours worth of videos watched each month, it's pretty believable.

Google has now announced its intention to develop a kid-friendly website that is designed to reach a younger demographic - children under 10. But if this is such a popular platform, why change it?
YouTube wants to make a site that is available for kids and one that has age-appropriate and safe material for young ones. They already have safety features and filters but there are always ways to get around those, such as setting your birth date to state that you are over 21 to watch any content you want.

 I'm surprised that Google or YouTube want to do something like this, if you ask me, why fix something that isn't broken? YouTube is already insanely popular, something like this may only hurt it, but time will tell.

One must also think - how many children 10 and under actually surf the internet or go on YouTube on a regular enough basis? Probably not many, but with the way the younger generation is growing up I could be completely wrong.  I personally don't think YouTube or Google will gain much from this besides the approval of parents.


Check out the article at ---> http://mashable.com/2014/03/24/youtube-for-kids/

President Obama Is The First Verified User Of Quora

In an age where social media is one the most prevalent things in the world, it's important for world leaders to be able to understand and use it effectively.  President Barack Obama has proven how effective a tool social media can be for getting in touch with the common people.  He's been active on Twitter and Facebook, and has even posted on Reddit.  Now he's also joining Quora, a website where you can ask questions and get answers from registered users who have first hand experience with a topic you ask about.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/jimblasingame/2014/03/24/if-you-like-your-internet-you-may-not-be-able-to-keep-it/

On Quora, Obama will be answering two questions about the Affordable Care Act.  This is part of a series of moves he's been making to get more people to sign up for Obamacare before the March 31 deadline.  This campaign has included other, equally intriguing moves from Obama, like his aforementioned AMA on Reddit, and his "Healthcare Madness" campaign that tries to attract younger people to get insured.

I think this whole campaign really shows Obama's adaptability to a changing world and his ability to keep up with the times.  I haven't heard a lot about how the campaign is going for the president, but I think that the moves he is making are very smart.  He knows how valuable social media is in the world and is demonstrating that knowledge with this campaign.  He's proven how savvy he is to all sorts of different social media and, in doing so, has garnered support from many different demographics around the country.  It's proof that, to some extent at least, he knows what he's doing and that there could be good things on the horizon.

March Madness: Healthcare Edition

With the deadline for enrollment in Obamacare approaching quickly on March 31, the White House has deployed one last Public Relations strategy to get 18-34 year olds to sign up.

 

President Barak Obama has turned March Madness into Healthcare Madness with the release of his brackets on Wednesday that also arrived with a “16 Sweetest Reasons to Get Covered” bracket. The bracket is made up of funny GIFs with reasons why you should be insured like "because accidents happen":

 The idea is to tie the Healthcare enrollment deadline in with March Madness to reach young healthy people who need to be insured in order to balance the healthcare system, with a focus on Hispanic and black youth who are the most likely to be underinsured.

Denis R. McDonough, White House chief of staff and foreign policy expert, used the analogy, “Somebody’s playing hoops, and they blow out a knee or something. And then all of a sudden, if you don’t have health care, you’re going to bankrupt yourself” as a way to get this audience’s attention.

The White House is using a sports-themed portal site  called GamePlan4Me which features games, videos, and superstar athletes explaining the benefits of health insurance.

In the last three weeks Obama has also video satellite called into the “The Ellen DeGeneres Show”, met with YouTube personalities including an Obama impersonator, called into Rickey Smiley’s hip-hop radio show, had an interview with a health care expert from WebMD, and even appeared on comedian Zach Gilifianakis’ show Between Two Ferns. I also heard Obama interviewed on Ryan Secrest’s radio show earlier this week… which was odd.

 

The first lady, Michelle Obama, also appeared ABC’s “Good Morning America” and made an appearance at a health care center in a black neighborhood in Miami.  Oh and let’s not forget this GIF of Michelle’s dunk that’s been floating around the web, too.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services will have spent $52 million on paid media from January until the end of March on promoting Obamacare enrollment.

I have heard around campus a lot of Obama Buzz and a lot of conversations about health care happening so I’d say it was a job well done. We will have to wait to see if the call of action meets its expectations of having 6 million people sign up by March 31.

Is Twitter Considering Changing Core Features?

Is Twitter set to undergo some major changes in the near future? According to a tweet by a high ranking company official, there was a hint that this would be the case. The article “Is Twitter Getting Rid of @-Replies and Hashtags?” by Lance Ulanoff of mashable.com, takes a closer look at the tweet posted and the possibilities of changes to Twitter.

Ulanoff looks at a tweet from Twitter’s head of news, Vivian Schiller. She referred to the @ replies and hashtags as “arcane.” While nothing is for certain, this statement surely hints that the features being discussed could undergo some serious changes, perhaps even vanish all together.

I believe that if Twitter was to get rid of the @ replies and hashtags, it would be a huge mistake. The saying, ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,’ comes to mind here. The features in question are core features of Twitter, and I don’t know of anyone who is disappointed with them, or thinks of them negatively. Sure, it can be a bit confusing at first, but once they are fully understood, replies and hashtags are what makes Twitter, Twitter.

In the past, Facebook has changed its format so frequently that it was hard to understand, it annoyed me, a lot. I know I don’t only speak for myself here also. Many people were frustrated with Facebook when it underwent numerous changes during a short period of time, just a few years ago. It is definitely one of the most frustrating traits of Facebook and I would hate to see Twitter go down this same path.

Also, It’s not only me who thinks this way. At the end of the article, there is a poll of whether or not readers think that Twitter should eliminate @ replies and hashtags. The overwhelming response has been no. No surprise there. Check out the article and poll itself at: http://mashable.com/2014/03/20/twitter-eliminating-at-replies-hashtags/.

Everyone is Watching, Even Your Car!

Today we have more and more car companies trying to come out with electronic cars. BMW however takes that to the next step. BWM have cam out with a new model called the i3 and this little car gets 80 miles to the charge! now yes long trips could be problematic but that's not what I'm worried about.

What BMW has added into the i3 is the new technology of Life360. What Life360 does is tracks and notifies  the owner where the car is. So say you say you're on your way to Jacks house, but your parents don't believe you, they have nothing to worry about anymore because now once the car is parked, it checks in and a notification is sent to the parents. They were right he was actually going to Erin's house.

Now a lot of people are saying this is a violation of privacy, but there are some hitches to it. One, the entire family has to buy in and get the app or else it would just would not work as well. So you can just get the car and not get the apps and see where people are driving in the car but it would be pointless to get the car and not use the features it offers. It the only car that has Life360 hooked up in it.

The great thing about this though is the features like check in and car reminders. Say you have a family dinner at seven but someone has the car out at work or just visiting people. What you can do is alert the car to come back home for dinner and once it checks back in at home you can be ready to go. Also if someone says they are somewhere, all you have to do is pull them up on your Life360 and it will get you directions to go directly to the person.

In my opinion this type of technology in a car can be seen as intrusive and unnecessary, but I think its a great. Being able to do all those little things would be a huge help, I don't always have my phone up when I'm driving, so being able to have something sent directly to the car is perfect. At my age, if my parents know where I am in the car, its no big deal I am an adult so they can't do much about it, but as a teen I would definitely hate this.

Would you want this fun little car and all that is packed into it?

http://mashable.com/2014/03/08/life360-bmw-i3-car/

Bellabeat - a fetal heartbeat monitor app

Apple has just updated their Bellabeat app, which assists in tracking pregnant women and their babies' health.  The app allows women to actually listen and record their baby's heartbeats.  It tracks beats per minute and allows the mother to keep track of other significant happenings, like how many times the baby has kicked or the gradual increase in its weight.  It does require a separate device that connects to your phone that monitors the heartbeats.

 

A new feature brought with the update is the mood-tracking feature.  Its primary function is to make sure women can recognize symptoms of depression during pregnancy, which is a very common occurence.  The app also asks the user two questions each month, and if it recognizes that the mother is showing early signs of depression, it suggests to the user to seek help and informs them of nearby clinics.

 

Bellabeat co-founder Urska Srsen says that future updates will bring blood pressure and nutrition readings.

 

I think this app is incredible.  It not only performs basic health checks on the mother and its baby, but also strengthens the bond between them.  Imagine being able to physically listen to your unborn child's heartbeats in the comfort of your own home.  What's going to be next, an ultra sound app?

 

 http://mashable.com/2014/03/20/bellabeat-mood-tracking/

Flappy Bird Will Fly Again

http://mashable.com/2014/03/20/flappy-bird-launch-again/

Dong Nguyen, creator of Flappy Bird, is bringing the game back soon after he randomly removed it from the Google Play store not too long ago.  The game brought in $50,000 a day, but he couldn’t handle the stress when the game got popular.  This week, Nguyen came back to social media announcing that the game will come back “better” than ever.  He took to Twitter to respond to game lovers questions about the game.  Although he didn’t give fans a date for the new game release, he said it’s returning, but not soon.  More specifically he told one twitter user, “I don’t work by plan.  I will release it when it is done.”  In his new game, he told Rolling Stone, he will provide gamers with a warning to “please take a break” because of the frustration that comes with it.  

In my opinion I don’t know if bringing back the game is a good idea for him.  If he couldn’t handle the stress the first time around, will he be able to handle it this next time?  He received death threats and considered committing suicide.  For his own personal health, it’s not worth the stress and depression over a smartphone game.

Cloak – the antisocial media

Today, I learned about a new corner of the media world – antisocial media.  Cloak, a new app dubbing itself as “antisocial media,” was created specifically to help you avoid contacts from your online social media accounts in real life.

Photo provided by Washington Post

Cloak helps you assemble a list of enemies through Instagram and Foursquare, and tracks their locations in order to help you avoid them.  You can even specify how close you’re willing to come to them before the app starts to send push notifications to alert you.

While Cloak could potentially be the start of a new genre of apps, it seems to be more of a novelty than anything else.  The reliability and timeliness of check-ins combined with the chances that you’re actually connected with people you’re trying to avoid makes the app largely useless.  

Aside from the low usability of the app, it is representative of a new trend in social media: secretiveness.  Newly popular apps like Snapchat and Secret are helping users cover up their footprints and operate in a more anonymous fashion.  Cloak seems to be an attempt to translate the ability to go low-profile into real life.

As a side note, it would be wildly interesting to see how apps, such as Cloak, could collaborate with Google Glass to create useful tools for not only everyday encounters (or the lack thereof), but also more professional reconnaissance and espionage for military and government use.

Read the article by Jennifer Van Grove at: http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-57620574-93/use-cloak-to-avoid-social-network-frenemies-in-real-life/

Read the other article at BBC.com: http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-25554192

Living Running Shoes

Thats right currently at the University of Southern Denmark, inventor Shamees Aden is inventing living and breathing running shoes, and with any luck buying new running shoes will never be a problem again. The shoes are made of 3D printed protocells that can be combined to make a living organisms that will form to the users foot like a second skin. The shoes could respond to pressure exerted by the wearer in order to better cushion the foot. The shoes would save millions of dollars and not to mention would have a positive effect on the environment as after there use is over they would simply die and decompose. If you can get past the idea of wearing a living thing on you're foot this product may not be to shabby and its as easy as this; after a run you would simply take off you're shoe and treat it like any household plant by giving it water to take care of it.

Although this idea was released earlier this year at a convention in London Aden says that the shoes won't be completely possible for almost another 20 years at the pace they are going with the technology they have. However, count on seeing these "Living" shoes around at some point in the worlds future.

Hunting For Jobs on Social Media Sites?

Over the years finding a job has been getting easier and easier.  From looking for advertisements in the paper to using websites that were designed to find jobs. Now you may simple log on to your favorite social media site. This list gives useful tips that can help someone seeking for a job find one with ease. The sites that were mentioned are Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Tumblr and Pinterest. When using Twitter, you can simply search the word “jobs” and find pages that post jobs, and then follow the page. Next time you are on your Facebook, edit your profile and add your education, skills and job history.  When on LinkedIn, start connecting to everything you are interested in and make sure to update your education, skills and job history. Even though Tumblr is predominantly a blogging site, you can search terms like “hiring “ and “jobs”, then start tumbling. Finally when using Pinterest, post your resume and follow hiring pages. All of these tips can be used to find you a job with little effort. But there is one problem that crosses my mind. If you were to connect with you employer through your social network page, then what is stopping them from invading your privacy and looking at all of your information?Gambling with your information is up to you, when making the choice just think of your privacy.  http://on.mash.to/PR9pJS

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