Love it! http://allthingsd.com/20110714/cisco-reminds-us-once-again-how-big-the-intern... 
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Portland Calagator
http://calagator.org/
Calagator is a unified calendar for the technology community of Portland, Oregon. We are an all-volunteer effort and encourage anyone to import, create, and edit events.
As websites become games, understand the trend with the Gamification Encyclopedia
http://thenextweb.com/socialmedia/2011/01/11/as-websites-become-games-understand-the-trend-with-the-gamification-encyclopedia/
One of the biggest trends we’ve seen on the Web in the past year has been the growing “Gamification” of websites and online services. From Foursquare to Get Glue and and services like One True Fan and even, er, The Next Web, it seems that badges and leaderboards are everywhere right now.
In order to explain this, San Francisco startup Gamify has launched an in-depth Gamification Encyclopedia. This wiki-based site covers gamification of all kinds, from websites to the ways it’s been applied by governments and industries like healthcare and transport.
Still a work in progress, some sections of the site are under development but its 197 articles are a really good read, with lots of examples of the many different game mechanics, design elements and user features that make up a ‘gamified’ service.
Simple Apps That Will Clean Up Your Hard Drive In A Snap
Excerpt:
 Image: Screenshot |
That makes it frustrating when you want to install new space-hogging software.
Thankfully there are plenty of tools out there to help you identify what you can delete and uninstall in order to clean up your cluttered drive.
Article: Why Apple's ITC patent victory over HTC Android phones is scary
Apple on Friday dealt a serious legal blow to HTC and the Android platform in general. A U.S. International Trade Commission judge has ruled that HTC infringed on two patents Apple submitted in a March 2010 complaint.
Naturally, HTC appealed the judgement to the six ITC commissioners, who will ultimately have the final say on the patent verdict. But it’s easily possible their decision, which is due by Dec. 6, will uphold the judge’s initial ruling.
The ruling is scary for competition because it could ultimately lead to the ban of all HTC Android devices and, to take things to the extreme, the ban of all Google Android phones and tablets. The two patents ruled to be infringing appear to be vital to the Android OS itself, so other companies’ Android products will be in Apple’s sights too.
“I have looked at those patents before and they appear to be very fundamental,” writes Florian Mueller of FOSS Patents. “They are very likely to be infringed by code that is at the core of Android. This could in a worst-case scenario result in an import ban against many or even all Android-based HTC products in the U.S. market.”
The two patents relate to how data is processed. The first patent is described as a “system and method for performing an action on a structure in computer-generated data,” which Apple says applies, for example, to tapping a phone number and being prompted options to call or look it up on the web. The second is described as a “real-time signal processing system for serially transmitted data,” which Apple says relates to data processed in real-time applications.
While the worst case scenario in this individual case is the ban of HTC Android products, Apple could use the same patents to attack all Android device manufacturers in court. Apple has already filed a compliant against Motorola with the same two patents, and there’s no telling which other companies could expect to see similar lawsuits.
Apple additionally has been in legal tussle with Samsung since April. The two companies have filed ITC complaints against each other with each asking for an import ban on the other’s products.
A less disastrous scenario for HTC would involve the company taking out certain features from its products and/or paying Apple licensing fees to use the patents, if Apple wants to offer that option. HTC is already paying licensing fees to Microsoft for every Android phone it sells, a strategy which seems to be paying off quite well for Microsoft. Paying out additional fees to Apple could end up being a major hit to HTC’s revenues, but it’s certainly better than some alternative outcomes.
Marriage, Obamas, and "Old School"
http://www.newsweek.com/2009/02/13/our-model-marriage.html
Excerpt:
Our Model Marriage
The Obamas have the kind of relationship millennials aspire to.
Kanye West is a tough act to follow—unless you are a middle-aged couple slow dancing to tuba music. It's unlikely that anyone watching last month's Youth Inaugural Ball on TV noticed much difference between how the crowd of millennials welcomed the Louis Vuitton don and how they reacted, a few minutes later, when Barack and Michelle Obama took the stage. But if you were actually in the audience—like me, and my eardrums—the change was impossible to ignore. The young people screamed. The young people sighed. Several young people even began to weep. "I hope my husband looks at me like that someday," said one girl. When the song stopped, Obama leaned into the mike. "That's what's called 'old school'," he cracked. The new-school crowd responded like a bunch of banshees.
At the time, I attributed the scene to inauguration-induced hysteria. But since Jan. 20, a dozen peers have confirmed that what I witnessed in Washington wasn't a fluke. "Yeah," a friend admitted. "I'm totally obsessed with the two of them together." Which got me thinking: havethe president and his wife become for 20-somethings what the stars of "Twilight" are for tweens—the swooniest couple around? And if so, what does that say about us?
My hunch is that millennials are going gaga over Barack and Michelle because they want to be Barack and Michelle. It's not that other generations can't admire the Obamas' bond; their marriage—a union of self-sufficient equals—embodies the post-'60s ideal. But unlike their elders, most millennials have yet to experience marriage firsthand, and what they've experienced by proxy hasn't been particularly encouraging: a 50 percent divorce rate, a steep rise in single parenthood, a culture captivated by cheap celebrity hookups. Even America's most visible household hasn't offered much hope, veering from '50s-era subservience (the Reagans) to boomer dysfunction (the Clintons). But now the Obamas—two independent individuals who also appear to be (surprise!) in love—have filled the void. For young people who have rejected the tired "wife in the kitchen" template but resolved not to follow their parents to divorce court, it's a relief to see that the sort of marriage they hope to have—equal and devoted—can actually exist.
Amazon’s Tablet Is No Threat To Apple, It’s A Huge Threat To Google
http://techcrunch.com/2011/07/13/amazon-tablet-android/
Excerpt:
The key point is that Amazon’s first tablet, any way you slice it, sounds like just as much of a threat to the iPad as all the other Android tablets have been so far. That is to say, no threat at all. Instead, it will likely be more of a threat to their own Kindle device (it’s hard to make the “this device is no good for reading” argument out of one side of your mouth while saying the opposite out of the other). And much more so, it will be a huge threat to Google.
Back in March, when Amazon released their own Android Appstore, I made the case for why Amazon now had to release their own Android-powered devices. Simply put, the process to install the Android appstore is way too complicated, Amazon needs devices they can ship with the store pre-installed. And more importantly, their stores pre-installed. As in, any device they ship is going to be filled with Amazon to the brim. That includes the ability to sign in to your Amazon Prime account the buy things with one click.
When that happens, Amazon will have an Android tablet that is more compelling than any other Android tablet on the market on day one. There are plenty of whispers of Google planning their own “Nexus” tablet for later this year when the Ice Cream Sandwich variety of Android is ready to go, but the consumer ease-of-use that Amazon can offer will likely trump anything Google puts out there.
That’s why Google should be scared shitless of this Amazon tablet. Thanks to the “openness” of Android, Google has handed Amazon the keys to the Android kingdom. Amazon is going to launch a tablet that runs Android, but it will be fully Amazon’d. It will use Amazon’s Appstore, it will use Amazon movies, it will use Amazon books, it will use Amazon music, etc. Google will have no control over this, even though it will be the seminal Android tablet. That would be terrifying for any brand.
Sure, you could argue that an Amazon Android tablet will still benefit Google because it will lead to more Google searches. But who says that will be the case? If I were Microsoft, I’d go all-in when negotiating with my Seattle technology neighbor to get a Bing search deal done for this new tablet.
Google has been able to control Android so far while keeping it “open” because they offer carrots to partners to stay with them for most services. Those carrots are Google apps, Google branding, early access to new Android builds, etc. But Amazon likely won’t care about those things. They could be the first major player to use Android that Google has absolutely no control over.
This is going to be fascinating to watch. All I know is that if I were Apple, I wouldn’t be too concerned by this Amazon tablet. Next year, maybe. But not now. But if I were Google, I’d put down those Android carrots I’ve been offering up and go find my stick.
"What G+ is really about (pst!!! it's not...
 | "What G+ is really about (pst!!! it's not social") -- +Vincent Wong Believe it? Go here http://bit.ly/qfHKZQ and see his G+ photo album that argues the case. (Just click the first photo.) As a subtle counterpoint, or maybe an attenuation, it reminds me of one of my first posts here: http://bit.ly/o9NC7N People continue to talk about G+ being a Twitter & Facebook killer, but if that happens, that's besides the point. G+ is something new and inspires its own behavior & userbase. That said, can you guess who Vincent Wong thinks should be worried about G+? |
Funny thing about revenue models
Excerpt:
Back in March, when Amazon released their own Android Appstore, I made the case for why Amazon now had to release their own Android-powered devices. Simply put, the process to install the Android appstore is way too complicated, Amazon needs devices they can ship with the store pre-installed. And more importantly, their storespre-installed. As in, any device they ship is going to be filled with Amazon to the brim. That includes the ability to sign in to your Amazon Prime account the buy things with one click.
When that happens, Amazon will have an Android tablet that is more compelling than any other Android tablet on the market on day one. There are plenty of whispers of Google planning their own “Nexus” tablet for later this year when the Ice Cream Sandwich variety of Android is ready to go, but the consumer ease-of-use that Amazon can offer will likely trump anything Google puts out there.
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Khan Academy iPad app screenshots show progress
Excerpt:
The Khan Academy is an online non-profit organization whose goal is to provide a "free world-class education to anyone anywhere." Think of it as TED for everyone, except Khan's videos, resources, and lesson plans can actually help you be one of the TED speakers one day. Currently the Khan Academy is only accessible through a browser, but, John Resig, Dean of Open Source and head of JavaScript development at the non-profit, has shown off a few alpha screenshots of the upcoming Khan Academy iPad app, and it looks awesome.
Initially the 1.0 version of the iPad app will allow video navigation and viewing, interactive transcripts, and offline support. However, future versions of the iPad app will allow for in-app exercises. No word yet on a release date for the app, but combining the Khan Academy with the iPad could prove to be a truly disruptive combination of technologies for traditional education. And especially with kids coming out of US colleges with upwards of $150,000 in student debt, perhaps our more traditional education models need to be disrupted.
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JotJournal turns your Facebook posts
JotJournal turns your Facebook posts & pics into a keepsake book
Those posts, pics and musings on Facebook capture our daily lives. But do they really get captured? Pretty soon they're at the bottom of our "feed," lost forever. Not anymore. JotJournalcompiles the best moments from your Facebook page (skip the ones you'd, uh, rather forget) and turns them into a keepsake book - all with just a few clicks.Sent from Mobile
Kia: Design + Fundamentals
http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/2011-06-27-kia-rising_n.htm
Excerpt:
"South Korea's Kia has flourished through the recent years of industry turmoil, thanks to initiatives begun in 2005 to turn around a reputation for cheap cars of dubious reliability and create a lineup of quality vehicles with cutting-edge design.
"We had to get back to the basics," says Tae-Hyun "Thomas" Oh, chief operating officer, at Kia headquarters. "We worked hard in pursuing product quality. We knew we couldn't sell our cars without it."
The plans included designing sleek models for the "young at heart," spending more on youthful ads, courting critics and firing weak dealers. As the global economic slump caused consumers to cut spending and seek more value, Kia gained market share by rolling out new models with more features at aggressive prices few rivals could match — along with the ongoing 100,000 miles/10-year warranty it shares with corporate sibling brand Hyundai.
Designing for success
The most visible sign of Kia raising its game has been the new look of its cars and trucks. "We had no distinguishable characteristic. Nothing special. We deliberately set out to emphasize design," Oh says.
When Peter Schreyer, former head of design at Audi and Volkswagen, became available in 2007, Kia pounced. "We needed an outsider, somebody like Peter, to help us see the forest. We were too focused on the trees," Oh says.
Working with designers in Irvine, Calif., and Frankfurt (Kia's U.S. and European headquarters, respectively), Schreyer pursued a look that would say Kia.
"When you see an Audi or BMW in the street, you immediately recognize it," Schreyer says in an interview. "It was quite important for Kia to have that signature look. To make a daring step like they did — hiring a Westerner — shows that Koreans were serious and willing to challenge themselves."
Schreyer and his team created straight-line, streamlined designs and settled on a distinctive "tiger nose" front grille — meant to resemble the animal — that would be a common design element across the lineup.
"I wanted to give Kia a strong identifier that you'll be able to recognize from distance," Schreyer says.
Mac Rumors - Apple, Mac, iOS News and Rumors
Excerpt:
A study of click patterns by link-shortening service Bit.ly illustrates a distinct difference in usage between iPads and other types of devices, including smartphones and traditional computers.
The general curve of most of the usage lines follows the general traffic flow of larger websites. Very little traffic at night, with a steep rise as the work day starts with a peak in the mid-afternoon, then a drop-off as people begin to leave work. Smartphone and desktop browser usage are fairly similar.
iPad use, on the other hand, is dramatically different. Usage dips slightly after breakfast and remains below the other devices throughout most of the day, until the evening. Then it spikes much later in the evening.
Bitly researcher Brian David Eoff:
The general curve of most of the usage lines follows the general traffic flow of larger websites. Very little traffic at night, with a steep rise as the work day starts with a peak in the mid-afternoon, then a drop-off as people begin to leave work. Smartphone and desktop browser usage are fairly similar.
iPad use, on the other hand, is dramatically different. Usage dips slightly after breakfast and remains below the other devices throughout most of the day, until the evening. Then it spikes much later in the evening.
Bitly researcher Brian David Eoff:
During the weekends iPad usage between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. is higher than it is during the week at those same hours. No other device sees a heavy increase of use during the weekends, showing that the iPad is used as an entertainment device and differs from both smartphones and browsers.
Bitly also looked at the types of data consumed, but didn't see any drastic differences in behavior there. The most striking differences are in the times of use. Eoff believes it's because the iPad is "used as an entertainment device" more than both smartphones and browsers.Sent from Mobile
Google Circles Intro
http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/google_to_launch_major_new_social_network_called_c.php
Excerpt:
A Matter of Personas
With Circles, I believe that Google will attempt to accomplish something critics from the blogosphere,academia, SXSW 2010 keynoter danah boyd, privacy watchdogs and others have all called on the social networking world to do: to allow our online communication to respect the same boundaries that our offline social lives do.
School and work, friends and family, the sacred and the profane; we've always been able to communicate different things to different people in different circumstances. Facebook, Twitter and other online social networks have collapsed all those contexts into one big bucket. We speak to our "friends" all at once, no matter what we might want to say to one group of people or another. And thus we often feel less comfortable than we might saying anything at all.
This fundamental discomfort has been, many people argue, a limiting factor in the growth, reach and depth of online social interactions. If that problem could be solved, there are big new ways that the online world could grow and evolve. This has been a more sophisticated understanding of privacy, not just as a public/private dichotomy but as a matter of contextual integrity of communication, that we and others have been calling on Facebook to adopt for almost two years.
The development of Circles is likely heavily influenced by the work of ex-Google social technology researcher Paul Adams. Adams has written a book called Social Circles, which will be released this Summer and he published a widely read slide deck about what is wrong with social networking: specifically the lack of respect for context and personas. (The Real Life Social Network) Adams worked on User Experience at Google for four years, but just months after publishing his influencial presentation he left Google for Facebook.
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