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Posted by andreaitis on May 25, 2009
Is this a gimmick, or a turning point? With the iPhone and the Kindle, this could be the redefining moment for graphic artists and cover art. Will there be an uprising or a welcome embrace?
Artist Jorge Colombo took about an hour to fingerpaint an intricate Times Square scene on his iPhone using Brushes, a $4.99 iPhone drawing app. Now, it’s the June 1st cover for The New Yorker.
Gizmodo – June 1st New Yorker Cover Drawn Entirely on the iPhone – Iphone new yorker cover
Posted in Entertainment, technology | Tagged: Art, Cover, iphone, magazine | Leave a Comment »
Posted by andreaitis on May 20, 2009
The hate is on. Or, perhaps, the mockery, snark and smirk. Four pretty funny guys have launched Tweeting Too Hard, a site that brings us the “self-importance, pretense, braggadocio—it’s all here and it’s laid bare for the scoffing.”
It’s the Digg of twitter messages, where we in our self-righteous right-ness get to vote on who’s twittering like a twit-wit. Because, y’know, OUR twitter messages would certainly never appear there. Um, right? Sheesh. As if we needed more pressure on a measly 140 characters…
The concept is simple. You submit and vote for the most blatantly self-absorbed tweets that you see on Twitter. The most popular recent tweets get voted to the top. Like the million of other web sites that offer this sort of voting feature, you can also sort by “newly added,” “randoms,” and “today’s top.”
Tweeting Too Hard: A site for shaming the twitteringly self-important » VentureBeat
Posted in technology, twitter | Tagged: Tweet, Tweeting Too Hard, Twitter | 1 Comment »
Posted by andreaitis on May 14, 2009
Image via CrunchBase
Staffers at The Wall Street Journal were the lucky recipients this week of rules for “professional conduct.” These rules included a long and specific list related to social media and social networking.
Dow Jones spokesman Robert Christie declined to comment to E&P today on why the updated rules were put out at this time, saying they speak for themselves. But it is clear they are in place for those involved in social networking on the likes of Facebook or Twitter, requiring editor approval before “friending” any confidential sources.
“Openly ‘friending’ sources is akin to publicly publishing your Rolodex,” the rules state, adding, “don’t disparage the work of colleagues or competitors or aggressively promote your coverage,” and “don’t engage in any impolite dialogue with those who may challenge your work — no matter how rude or provocative they may seem.”
I get why you shouldn’t ‘friend’ a source. That’s pure common sense, the same way a cop wouldn’t ‘friend’ an informant’ or a lawyer wouldn’t ‘friend’ a key witness. But don’t aggressively promote your work? Sure, you don’t want to spam people but promoting your work on social media sites is one way to, y’know, get people to read it. To draw attention, create a debate, engage the audience.
I think this one is my favorite though:
“Business and pleasure should not be mixed on services like Twitter. Common sense should prevail, but if you are in doubt about the appropriateness of a Tweet or posting, discuss it with your editor before sending.”
Don’t mix business and pleasure on Twitter.
Discuss a Twitter message with an editor before tweeting it.
Um, really? Does the person who wrote these rules have anything other than a cursory knowledge of Twitter, Facebook and other social media? Did anyone raise a hand and say, “The point’s over here and you’re missing it”?
For an industry that is supposed to support free speech, inquiry, discourse, and — at its core — curiosity, I just don’t get how they don’t get it.
I do agree with one point, however. Common sense should prevail. Unfortunately, there’s not much common sense in these rules of engagement.
You can see the entire list of rules for online behavior, along with the other rules of conduct included in the e-mail. What’s your favorite? And what rules did they miss?
Posted in technology, Uncategorized | Tagged: Dow Jones & Company, facebook, Robert Christie, Rolodex, social media, Social network service, Twitter, Wall Street Journal | 4 Comments »
Posted by andreaitis on May 12, 2009
The press got an “insider’s perspective on search” today at Google’s annual Searchology event. There was live-blogging, webcasting and twittering galore as Marissa Mayer, VP of Search Products and User Experience, and a team of Googlers gathered in building 40 at the Googleplex.
Udi Manber kicks the event off saying “our job is to do rocket science that will be taken for granted.” But, he adds, “there is still a lot of work to do.”
He continues talking about growth throughout the centuries. “In the 20th century,” he explains, the dream was to conquer nature; I think the 21st centure will be about understanding people.”
“We have made a lot of progress, and you’ll see some more today. But, the most promising advance is that we are starting to ‘understand.'”
“We have very high confidence that this is what you’re looking for. It’s actually hard to do, but it looks easy to you.”
“Search has to be lightening fast, relevant comprehensive fresh, but the main point is that even that is not enough.”
He ends by juggling three eggs. Then saying “I wanted to highlight that things are not always what they seem,” he throws the eggs, and they bounce off the stage.
via Searchology: State of the Union of Search at Google – ReadWriteWeb.
During the event, Google announced three new search products coming soon: Google Squared, Rich Snippets and a new Android application called Sky Map. They also revealed that they had seen an early version of the much-anticipated Wolfram, a “computational knowledge engine” launching this month.
A little competition would be a good thing, for all of us…
Posted in technology | Tagged: google, search, Searchology | Leave a Comment »
Posted by andreaitis on May 12, 2009
With the rise of self-publishing tools and the decline of traditional newsrooms, the editor’s role has been rigorously debated. Today, looking at the latest updates to Google News, there is a loud voice saying the editor is not just a nice-to-have, but a must-have. Why, you ask? According to Techcrunch, Google News “still sucks” for one reason: no human touch.
The problem is that Google uses an algorithm to do this clustering. As the vastly superior news aggregator Techmeme, learned quite a while ago, there needs to be some human curation involved. While an algorithm may not be able to see the difference in iPhone stories (or Microsoft stories, or anything else in my example for that matter), a human could.
Further, the biggest problem with Google News when it comes to tech news is that many of the items that appear are laughably old. It’s fine if you want to say it’s for the masses to get a better overview of what’s going on, but at least indicate that these topics aren’t breaking items just because some site decided to write about it again a day or two days or a week after someone else published the story first.
via Google News Gets An Update. Still Sucks.
I have long been frustrated by the Google News implementation. But it’s been the only option for so long that we simply lower our expectations and adjust to the suckage. To me, that’s the core issue with Google products: they make users adjust to them, rather than modifying their products to better meet consumer need. They never actually finish a product. They’ll get about 80% there, slap a Beta label on it and call it a day. Meanwhile, the last 20% is typically the most important (and the hardest). These are the details that make something fit, that make users nod their heads and smile, that build loyalty and frequency. Google seems to lose patience and steam, and just move on. We are left with a product that has great potential, but never really fits.
The algorithm, for example, is a great foundation. To make the Google News experience sing (or at least hum), it needs to have some human filtering, a feed of HSS instead of RSS. The New York Times is moving in this direction with their brand new launch of TimesWire. And, of course, we have our True/Slant Network Activity Feed.
Will these replace Google News? No. But the door is open for alternatives and experimentation. Google will have to evolve more aggressively to keep ahead, figuring out along the way how to include the various rivers and streams of news. With hope, entering a new phase of human touch tech.
Posted in technology | Tagged: google, Google News, New York Times, news, techmeme | Leave a Comment »
Posted by andreaitis on May 5, 2009
On Wednesday, Jeff Bezos will unveil the Amazon Kindle DX. There has been much speculation and hype about the DX, including the question that has quickly turned trite: Will this save newspapers? A silly question, really, because A) it won’t, the point of the Kindle is that it’s paper-free and 2) newspapers are long past saving, at least in their current state. What about the other question that has also quickly turned trite: Can it save the news industry? Well, no…but it can provide an outlet for additional reach and experimentation with revenue models.
There is some potential here. The DX has a 9.7-inch display (the current Kindle is a six-inch unit), a built-in PDF reader, and the ability to add notes and highlights. Engadget is reporting that the New York Times will offer a $9.95 / month subscription, a little lower than the current $13.99.
But one of the more interesting angles here is that the Kindle could become the new super-charged textbook on college campuses, saving students time, money and back-aches from dragging around backpacks that weigh more than a keg. And if it works for college students, the trickle-down effect could lead to Kindles in the Kindergarten class. Forget newspapers…could this be the end of good old-fashioned books?
Chief information officer for Cleveland-based Case Western Reserve University — the college whose president will be taking the stage with Jeff Bezos — Lev Gonick said select students are being issued the new, larger screen Kindles (doesn’t specify DX) in the fall semester with pre-installed textbooks for chemistry, computer science and a freshman seminar. Five other universities including Pace, Princeton, Reed, Arizona State, and Darden School at the University of Virginia are also said to be signed up for the trial.
Amazon Kindle DX to feature 9.7-inch display? Update: Pictures!
Posted in technology | Tagged: Amazon, College, Kindle, Kindle DX, Newspapers | 4 Comments »
Posted by andreaitis on April 28, 2009
One minute Oprah is the Internet’s new Tweetheart, the next minute hard-core twitterers are grumbling. It’s like when hordes of people invade your favorite secluded beach spot. Usually that means it’s time to find a new favorite secluded beach spot. Enter Microsoft, and a new product called Vine. It’s in early beta testing in Seattle, but it looks like they’ve zeroed in on core needs with the easy messaging of Twitter, the contacts and connections of Facebook, and the local news and Latitude of Google. If it works better than Internet Explorer (a low bar), it’s definitely worth keeping an eye on. Could this be the next big thing?
Vine is designed to keep family and friends in touch when other communication methods are either broken or not particularly efficient. Times of crisis usually involve a breakdown in mobile phone or other key communication infrastructures, and Vine is designed to be as hardy as possible to keep people connected. Vine can be accessed via a desktop client (Windows only for now), text message or email.
So what is it? Vine is a tool keep people connected during a crisis, but it’s also used to for more mundane, everyday tasks. My guess is it will hit a sweet spot with the masses. My parents, for example, are going to love this.
via TechCrunch: Microsoft Vine To Connect Family, Friends When Crisis Hits
Posted in social media, technology | Tagged: facebook, google, microsoft, Twitter, Vine | 5 Comments »
Posted by andreaitis on April 23, 2009
Image by Oxfam America via Flickr
I’ts official. Tom, my oldest friend on MySpace, is leaving. Of course, he’s everyone’s oldest friend on My Space so I shouldn’t take it personally. Still, this is a significant moment. A company that was transformative in social media is changing hands, and Om Malik is right: it is the end of a social networking era.
It’s also a beginning. The timing is, perhaps, most interesting. On the heels of Facebook’s worst-received redesign and the upswing in Twitter, the playing field is leveling out. The next move for each company will determine who will get the momentum. Long-term vision will determine who will keep it.
The clock has been ticking on MySpace and its executives. Earlier this year COO Amit Kapur and two other long time MySpace employees left the company because their they couldn’t get the contracts they wanted. Their exit was spun by the News Corp. After reading various accounts of DeWolfe’s exit, you can see they left Chris out to dry — something I find particularly distasteful.
Regardless, of his exit, there is a strategy in place that could turn MySpace into decent-enough money maker: MySpace Music. By looking to social network’s musical roots, MySpace executives realized that they could build the MTV of the broadband generation. Combining text, audio, video, and social abilities with its audience, MySpace can thrive as a niche-yet lucrative musical destination. A lot has to go right for that to happen.
With MySpace Changes, a Social Networking Era Ends
[poll id=”7″]
Posted in technology | Tagged: Chris DeWolfe, MySpace, rupert murdoch, Tom Anderson | 4 Comments »
Posted by andreaitis on April 20, 2009
This is big news: “Washington will be the first U.S. city to get free digital TV broadcasts for mobile devices like cell phones, laptop computers and in-car entertainment systems, broadcasters were set to announce Monday.”
Another extension to make us a more connected society, for better or worse. Think of the devices, the where and the how of mobile TV. The new cross-platform experience, from cars, buses and trains to refrigerators to (of course) devices you can take with you, in various sizes. Think about blending mobile TV with Skype and Twitter. Think about news coverage and how it can reach areas previously unreached, where people may have cell phones but not TVs. And think about advertisers who can have a more personal and intimate relationship with device owners through geo-targeting.
Much to think about. Think big.
Broadcasts using new “mobile DTV” technology are expected to begin in late summer from five stations: local affiliates of CBS, NBC, PBS and Ion and one independent station owned by Fox.
The initial broadcasts will be identical to those beamed to TV sets, including the advertising.
Washington, D.C. will be 1st to get free mobile TV by AP: Yahoo! Tech
Posted in technology | Tagged: DTV, mobile, Mobile Tv | Leave a Comment »
Posted by andreaitis on April 16, 2009
Larry King via Wikipedia; Ashton Kutcher via Flickr
Really, all I have to do is put up these two pictures and you can imagine the thousand words. Still, it’s worth repeating the battle that is surely creating warped pay-per-view visions in Vince McMahon’s mind. Dreamy Ashton Kutcher and rickety-crickety CNN are each racing to get 1 million followers on Twitter. I’m not really sure why or how this started (and I can’t say I care enough to bother looking it up) but there you have it.
But — as if this wasn’t dramatic enough — enter a NEW challenger. A challenger, in fact, with a secret past that can rival stories of Larry and his Seven Wives, proving once again that it’s not necessarily who you are, but who other people think you might be. We’ll just see who gets the last punk’d.
While Ashton Kutcher and CNN are trying to be the first to hit 1 million followers on Twitter, Joseph Frieschel, an inconspicuous Australian MD, is quickly catching up. Frieschel only opened his Twitter account last night, but he already has over 200,000 followers. How can this be? Well, it looks like the anonymous members of the infamous 4chan imageboard didn’t like the idea of either Kutcher or CNN breaking the 1 million follower barrier before they got a chance to make their presence felt.
4Chan Takes on Twitter
The choice of the fake user’s “real” name, username, avatar, and bio are typical examples of the kind of crass and often tasteless humor that runs rampant on anonymous forums like 4chan. The new Twitter account clearly refers to Joseph Fritzl, the Austrian who, unknown to the rest of his family, imprisoned his daughter in his house’s basement for 24 years until his double life finally unraveled last year.
Not all of the humor on 4chan is this crass, however. The site, after all, was also the breeding ground for popular Internet memes like Rickrolling and lolcats.
Operation Basement Dad: How 4Chan Could Beat CNN & Ashton Kutcher
Posted in social media, technology, twitter | Tagged: Ashton Kutcher, CNN, Larry King, Twitter | Leave a Comment »
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