smart phones make us look dumb.

Microsoft has launched a clever campaign commenting on our dependence on staying connected. the Windows Phone 7 stresses 'at a glance information' too ensure we don't loose touch with reality. while the idea is brilliant, and they make a valid point, I do not see them succeeding in competition against the smartphone giants in the market such as, iPhone and Blackberry.

the wilderness downtown.

this is the coolest thing I have ever seen. the combination of new age technology and the nostalgia of music videos and our childhood homes come together... thank you again... ARCADE FIRE.
the wilderness downtown.
enter your childhood home and see a personalized music video. so brilliant.

who am I sleeping with?

my phone.
and I am not alone...
two thirds of american adults sleep with their cellphones in or right beside their bed.
90% are those ages 18 - 29.
read more from this study here.

de-tagging diligence.

our 'tell all generation' has proven to actually use more censorship than those thirty plus on social media networking sites. in the recent ny times article, holson explains how those in their twenties are more conscious and aware of what is being shared on the internet than any other age bracket. in the Pew study, researchers interviewed 2,253 adults late last summer and found that people ages 18 to 29 were more apt to monitor privacy settings than older adults are, and they more often delete comments or remove their names from photos so they cannot be identified. younger teenagers were not included in these studies, and I am almost positive they do not have such diligence in their facebook sharing. 

public property.

Is there any privacy anymore? I love the connectivity modern social networking sites have provided. But I can't help but feel skeptical myself; sharing everything from pictures to locations on networking sites. It is insane how fast and furious this market has exploded. A couple years ago people were skeptical of making purchases online. Now people are recording everything from work out logs to location updates; thus becoming public property of the world wide web. One can publish information about literally anything, and there is already a site dedicated to it. Post one's travel schedule on Dopplr, DNA profile is available on 23andMe.com, and Blippy.com one can make public everything you spend with your Chase Mastercard, along with your spending at Netflix, iTunes and Amazon.com.  Facebook.com, LinkedIn.com and Twitter.com, are the root of this 'share everything' world. DailyBooth.com, founded in London but moving to San Francisco, asks users to publish a picture a day. “It’s the richest and quickest way to share how you are doing and what you are feeling,” said Brian Pokorny, a Silicon Valley investor who recently became the company’s chief executive. Or my personal favorite is Barry Borsboom's, who this year created an intentionally provocative site called Please Rob Me. The site collected and published Foursquare updates that indicated when people were out socializing — and therefore away from their homes. I think that like any technology, this new update crazy world we have come to live in will definitely change not only marketing for companies but create a new tier in law, in regards to the dangers of such access of information.
Source: NY Times April 22 Image flickr: Alcides Fonseca

retro sound.

While all kinds of new technology is bombarding us day in and day out - it is nice to know the comforts of the originals are still in demand. Nostalgia in sound equipment is more common than one would think. Many old technologies are being re-released with updates more suited to our technological advancements, but still with the feel good old style of the past. AIAIAI and Kilo have done just this is the headphone department. “Audio fashion wear” as they call it. They display the retro funky style of the classic headphones, minus the profuse sweat from the mounds of foam padding. WeSC is another brilliant company, launching updated versions of the classic headphone.
Remember Boom Boxes? Well thanks to Nokia, you can plug your iPod in to this marvelous technology and bring your boom blaster with you anywhere.
Even further back, the record player! Brionvega has released a super technology that resembles a futuristic record player. Its do-all capabilities include everything from playing 45s to DVDs.
The nostalgia of simply sitting in your family kitchen with the phone cradled between your neck and your ear, weaving the long spiraled cord between your fingers is in demand. YOUBZ has created that exact phone only with a USB attachment to plug into your wireless device. I love re inventing the old and making it applicable to today. I truly believe the saying “If it isn’t broken don’t fix it” does not apply here. Sound technology will keep moving forward, so can its original pieces.
Image Source: http://www.yubz.com/

getting to know each other.

Social media networks have made connecting with new suitors and old loved ones much easier. Simply type in a name or a mutual friend and they are instantly at your fingertips, send a message and voila! But aside from social media networks and online dating sites I am amazed at how much technology and media is infused in the physicality’s of dating today.Now to get personal, I will explain what I mean. I have been courted a gentleman suitor for over a month or so – in University terms- we hang out watch movies on our laptops and regular the pubs. But amongst these physical activities two major aspects are highly technological. The first is communication. We realized that in talking everyday all day since we met, the entirety of our communication has been via text messages- not one single phone call. How bananas is that? Within each text message we agreed that they are each finely tuned to a couple sentences to reflect the best representation of our selves and the intended message. The second technological infusion of this casual ‘dating’ is the “getting to know each other”. Having met each other in University, the possibilities of discovering things about one another is endless… so why not show them? Within seconds we pull up Google street view and are showing each other our childhood houses, middle schools and neighborhoods. Want to see what I looked like at three? Old pictures in a family member’s albums on face book are pulled up and shared. No matter how much we try and do it the old fashioned way, technology is such a convenient part of every aspect of our lives it’s impossible to ignore, even just ‘getting to know one another’.
Image: Flickr druideye