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14 Oct 2009 21:58

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Tech: Daily Poll: Is e-mail eventually going to go the way of the dodo?

  • In our always-connected world, e-mail seems like a quaint, longstanding relic of yesteryear, especially considering that 1.) It’s been around 40 years and 2.) Minus all the extra stuff added over the years, it’s largely unchanged from its roots. With Google’s upcoming Wave (which we were invited to but are bored using because we don’t have any friends) and other always-on connections, it seems like e-mail could lose its cultural impact. That’s what the Wall Street Journal argues. What do you think? Vote above.source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 2 Comments • Permalink

12 Oct 2009 11:02

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Tech: The content industry’s long history of fearing new technology

  • Under such conditions, the tide of amateurism cannot but recede until there will be left only the mechanical device and the professional executant.
  • John Philip Sousa • In a 1906 article titled “The Menace of Mechanical Music,” making a passionate argument against the use of the player piano and the gramophone. In a way, he was right – people don’t sing kum-bay-ya around the campfire much anymore – but even he admitted his claims rang a little alarmist. Ars Technica has a great article covering the ways that mainstream content creators have freaked out over new technology. Other new ideas scorned? The photocopier, the VCR, home taping, MP3s, DVRs and Digital TV and radio. Amusing read. • source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

09 Oct 2009 04:52

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Tech: Hulu just made bloggers’ lives incredibly easier. Thanks!

  • The video site’s new publisher tools look awesome. Hulu went from preliminary laughingstock to second-greatest video site on the planet within months (sorry Vimeo), and they keep bringing on the awesome. The newest tool in the TV-company-run site’s stable? Hulu Labs, which offers new approaches to watching funny videos from SNL. Even better? “Publisher Tools,” which gathers links and embed codes for popular videos online at sites far beyond Hulu, so you don’t have to spend an hour hunting for the latest and greatest video. That sounds awesome. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

04 Oct 2009 11:29

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Tech: Let’s start thinking of our bodies as computer parts, OK?

  • When your hard drive dies, you can go to the nearest computer store, buy a new one, and swap it out. That’s because it’s a standard part in a machine. The entire electronics industry is based on a plug-and-play mentality. … Why shouldn’t we use biological parts in the same way?
  • UC Berkeley biochemical engineering professor Jay Keasling • Discussing his philosophy on health and disease. It’s a very nontraditional approach. Cells are hardware. Genetic information is software. And by their powers combined, you have a new limb. Warning: Massive New Yorker profile piece at the link. Take a long lunch. (Hat tip to Andrew Sullivan.) • source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

30 Sep 2009 09:30

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Tech: Daily Poll: Is Google Wave worth the massive levels of hype?

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23 Sep 2009 11:23

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Tech: Daily poll: Would you buy a tablet PC like the Microsoft Courier?

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20 Sep 2009 10:29

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Tech: Whoa. Look at all those basic Amazon-branded cables

amazon0920
  • We mean, we can understand why Amazon might want to get in the cable market. Or the CD-R market. But Amazon Basics seems like such a … basic … move. As long as they don’t make dozens of made-up brands like Radio Shack, we guess we’re OK with this.source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

17 Sep 2009 10:26

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Tech, U.S.: Apps.Gov: The government hearts cloud computing, apparently

  • If you wanted the government to tell you using Facebook is smart, here you go. Apps.Gov is the U.S. government’s attempt to give a seal of approval to cloud computing – that nebulous internet thing that most people use on a daily basis without even realizing it. What’s amusing to us, beyond the useful productivity apps that the General Services Administration offers for purchase, is that they have a whole page devoted to social media. On this page, they tell you what you’ve already known for years if you have even a minor amount of technical knowledge: Wordpress, Facebook and YouTube (but surprisingly, not Twitter) are awesome! Thanks for the tips, brah. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

15 Sep 2009 11:11

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Tech: Daily poll: Bing Visual Search or Google Fast Flip?

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17 Aug 2009 22:00

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Tech: Why EveryBlock’s success should be a call to arms for savvy techies

EveryBlock

Journalism needs ideas like EveryBlock. Everyone's complaining about losing jobs and how big media organizations like the Associated Press don't get it. Why don't you help write the plot? Here's a few thoughts on how.
  • Get to coding If you’re a journalist with tech tendencies who’s been laid off, or even one without tech tendencies who wants to write the plot, start working on your Web skills. Find a niche that’s being underserved or a community that could a new journalism approach. Learn your options, try your hand at coding (don’t be scared; it’s like riding a bike), and put your heart into it.
  • Get to coding If you’re a journalist with tech tendencies who’s been laid off, or even one without tech tendencies who wants to write the plot, start working on your Web skills. Find a niche that’s being underserved or a community that could a new journalism approach. Learn your options, try your hand at coding (don’t be scared; it’s like riding a bike), and put your heart into it.
  • Think bigger Ideas like EveryBlock don’t happen by accident. People behind startups notice niches and find ways to make them flourish. They aren’t modest about their ambitions. They’re willing to try and fail. They’ll sweat heavily and spend long hours working on their project even when it feels like it’s not bearing fruit. But if you want to turn journalism on its head, be bold. Be brash.
  • Get to coding If you’re a journalist with tech tendencies who’s been laid off, or even one without tech tendencies who wants to write the plot, start working on your Web skills. Find a niche that’s being underserved or a community that could a new journalism approach. Learn your options, try your hand at coding (don’t be scared; it’s like riding a bike), and put your heart into it.
  • Think bigger Ideas like EveryBlock don’t happen by accident. People behind startups notice niches and find ways to make them flourish. They aren’t modest about their ambitions. They’re willing to try and fail. They’ll sweat heavily and spend long hours working on their project even when it feels like it’s not bearing fruit. But if you want to turn journalism on its head, be bold. Be brash.
  • Come a-knockin’ Knight News Challenge: In two weeks, the organization that birthed EveryBlock will begin accepting applications for the 2010 version of its venture-capital contest. You should apply.
    Y Combinator: Just this morning, the startup incubator announced plans to fund a journalism-centric company with aspirations of making money. Learn more here.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 8 Comments • Permalink
 
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