Digital Technology for Digital Living.
February 12, 2010
Twitter vs. Facebook for Business
A recent article at Bnet states that Twitter is somewhat less valuable for building lasting partnerships with customers than Facebook. However, the evidence provided is somewhat anecdotal. Both Twitter and Facebook are very good tools for business, but they may be best used as a complement to each other, rather than one or the other.
Certain businesses will do very well with Facebook and others with Twitter and many with no social networking strategy at all. The article appropriately points out that it is a significant time committment to manage these social resources, so taking a macro view and deciding where your finite time is most effectively spent is likely the best business decision you can make.
Gadgets boy | Comments (0) | Generalgadgets,gadget,gadgets shop, latest gadgets, new gadgets
August 29, 2008
Solar Powered Bonsai Tree Can Charge Your iPod and Mobile Phone
Recharge your cellphone, iPod, iPhone and camera with this USB solar powered bonsai tree by French designer Vivien Muller.
Thanks to 54 tiny photovoltaic panels, the iBonsai (we just made that name up) will store energy in a hidden battery during the day, allowing you to recharge your gadgets even at night.
Hate wire clutter? Who doesn’t. The bonsai charging tree cleverly hides all wires and plugs under the tray.
Need to slim down the tree’s berth so you can fit it on your desk? No problem. You can rotate each part individually and produce an endless number of different shapes. It’s like metal adult LEGOS.
The iBonsai Tree is decorative, good for the environment and sexy. It’s also just still a concept, so sorry. You can’t buy this yet. Hopefully Vivien will sell his concept and get the tree mass produced soon.
[Via methodshop]
methodshop | Comments (1) | Generalgadgets,gadget,gadgets shop, latest gadgets, new gadgets
August 25, 2008
Kevin Rose says New iPods Coming Soon
Is Digg.com founder and Diggnation star Kevin Rose abusing his Apple contacts? This past weekend Kevin blogged about some new stuff being released by Apple next month including new iPods and an iTunes update.
According to Kevin, Apple will announce the following within the next few weeks:
- the iPod nano will take on a slimmer, more rounded look
- the iPod Touch will get an update with a new 2.1 operating system
- Prices of the iPod line will drop to differentiate the product from the iPhone
- iTunes 8.0 will be a major new release with several additional features
- Further out Apple is planning to add Blu-ray support to Mac OS X
Why would Rose risk exposing his Apple contacts by announcing this information? And why now? Rose mentions his Twitter account multiple times in his blog post and urges people to “follow” him on Twitter to get more information. Perhaps Rose is bitter that Barack Obama took the top slot away from him on Twitter earlier this month.
methodshop | Comments (0) | Generalgadgets,gadget,gadgets shop, latest gadgets, new gadgets
August 19, 2008
Obama Out Twits McCain
While John McCain is still learning how to use email (we’re not kidding), his U.S. Presidential competition has completely mastered the micro-blogging service Twitter.
This month, American presidential candidate Barack Obama dethroned Kevin Rose from Digg.com and became the most popular person on Twitter. According to Twitterholic, a website that measures the “followers” of Twitter accounts, Barack Obama has over 58,000 followers.
Obama’s closest Twitter competitor is Kevin Rose with 56k followers. Robert Scoble, CNN Breaking News and Leo Laporte help round out the top 10.
Someone not in the Twitterholic top 10… John McCain. In fact McCain isn’t even in the top 100. The only serious McCain Twitter account we found has a little over 1,000 followers. A truly pitiful showing for someone who is running for president.
Here’s a 101 primer on Twitter and tips on how to explain it. If someone who personally knows John McCain is reading this, please print the article out for him (because you can’t email it to him yet).
Tutorial: How to Explain Twitter to Your Grandma
And if you are feeling wild, you can follow @methodshop on Twitter here.
methodshop | Comments (1) | General, Social Networkinggadgets,gadget,gadgets shop, latest gadgets, new gadgets
July 16, 2008
ROCKETON MMOG Interview
Steve Hoffman and Eric Hayashi are certainly well-rounded interactive entertainment executives. Their bios are full of so many impressive entertainment and gaming companies that it will make your head spin. Combined, Steve and Eric have worked at Vivendi Universal Games, Virgin Interactive, Infospace, Hasbro Interactive, Sega and Atari.
So what did Steve and Eric do with all that experience? What was the culmination of this vast interactive knowledge? In 2007, Steve and Eric joined forces with Naomi Kokubo and co-founded ROCKETON, a new type of multiplayer social experience that spans the entire web.
Instead of having to go to a separate site or use a specific application like Second Life, ROCKETON turns the entire Internet into a virtual world for browser based avatars. Think of ROCKETON like Second Life + PMOG with a twist of Facebook and a dash of StumbleUpon. It’s a Web 2.0 evolutional twist on virtual reality.
MethodShop was lucky enough to get some time with Steve and Eric and grilled them pretty hard about ROCKETON. A link to the full interview is below. Enjoy.
Interview: ROCKETON’s Steve Hoffman and Eric Hayashi
methodshop | Comments (0) | Generalgadgets,gadget,gadgets shop, latest gadgets, new gadgets
July 14, 2008
iPhone 3G Launch Problems
The long awaited iPhone 3G was released on Friday, July 11th. But what should have been a happy and joyous day for iPhone fans, ended up being an exercise in frustration for many.
AT&T’s insistence on trying to activate the phones in store taxed Apple’s authentication server (more info) and caused lines to move at a snail’s pace or sent buyers home with a phone only good for making emergency calls. During last year’s iPhone 1.0 launch Apple had everyone activate their own phone at home through iTunes.
Worse yet, AT&T outlets were allowed to sell far fewer phones that Apple Stores, forcing them to turn away customers who waited hours to get their hands on one.
The iPhone 3G line outside the Manhattan Apple Store on 14th Street at 12:52PM. Estimated wait time was ~4 hours. (Photo credit: MethodShop.com)
Earlier this week, Apple also had problems with the relaunch of their data service now called MobileMe (it was previously called iTools and .Mac). The MobileMe service is designed to synchronize a user’s personal data across devices, including the iPhone, but many users were denied access to their accounts this week, including Frank Accarrino.
“I’ve been trying to upload pictures from iPhoto to my .Mac website for the past few days but it’s offline. I can’t even get to my Mac mail. I bet Steve Jobs is pissed right now,” Frank told MethodShop.com.
Apple is usually known for flawless product launch events. Let’s hope Apple solves these network issues for next time. It’s estimated that 1 million iPhone 3G models were sold in the U.S. this weekend.
methodshop | Comments (0) | Generalgadgets,gadget,gadgets shop, latest gadgets, new gadgets
July 01, 2008
Digg.com Launches New “Recommendation Engine” Feature
Digg is rolling out a new recommendation engine this week. The new feature’s goal is to help users discover content from like-minded individuals amid the clutter of the 16k+ stories submitted to Digg.com each day.
You know how when you are browsing Amazon.com and the site suggests related products based on what you are viewing and what you’ve already purchased? This new Digg feature works kind of the same way. It analyzes your previous “diggs,” or stories you’ve voted for, then lets you know what other users with similar tastes have recommended.
If you want to know more, Digg execs Kevin Rose and Anton Kast go into detail about how it works on the Digg blog.
Rose will also probably explain the new feature during his next Diggnation podcast.
methodshop | Comments (0) | Generalgadgets,gadget,gadgets shop, latest gadgets, new gadgets
June 17, 2008
Loopt Coming Soon to the iPhone 3G
Wish you knew where your friends and family were at all times? Have you heard of Loopt yet?
Loopt is a mobile phone application that enables users to spy on see the location of their friends on an interactive map (see image below). The application also allows you to message friends in your general area and setup automatic alerts to notify you when friends are nearby.
In the last few months, Loopt has published several BlackBerry versions of its software for all major American cellphone carriers including T-Mobile, AT&T, Alltel and Sprint. Loopt also demonstrated an Alpha version of their software for the 3G iPhone at the 2008 World Wide Developers Conference (WWDC). You can sign up to be notified when the full iPhone version of Loopt is released here.
If you have a Jailbroken iPhone, then the function and features of Loopt might sound similar to Twinkle. Twinkle is a native Twitter client for the iPhone that pairs your GPS location with your Twitter posts. Twinkle also gives you the ability to add images to your Twitter Tweets.
But whether or not you use Loopt, Twinkle or Twitter.. it’s not any fun unless all your friends are also using the service.
methodshop | Comments (2) | Generalgadgets,gadget,gadgets shop, latest gadgets, new gadgets
June 14, 2008
Developers and Consumers Get Ready for Apple’s iPhone App Store
A massive new online business is scheduled to launch on July 11: Apple’s App Store – an online hub for third party iPhone and iPod Touch applications.
Beginning later this month, developers will begin to upload apps to the store accessible by iPhone users or to a new section of the iTunes Store, sharing revenue from app sales with Apple in a 70/30 split. These apps will be in addition to the 1,700-odd apps already developed for the iPhone’s Safari web browser.
One of the games people are looking forward to playing is Super Monkey Ball. Sega’s Ethan Einhorn showed off Super Monkey Ball on stage at the WWDC. According to Einhorn, after 8 weeks of development, the developers have created 110 stages.
The new 3G, GPS-enabled iPhone should open up a world of possibilities for clever developers in the realms of gaming, entertainment and enterprise applications.
In related news, the AOL Radio app for the iPhone won for Best Entertainment Application at the 2008 Apple Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), providing users free access to over 350 online radio stations (including 150 local CBS radio stations) and more than 200 AOL Radio channels.
Other WWDC iPhone App winners:
Best iPhone Game:
Enigmo by Pangea SoftwareBest iPhone Social Networking App:
Twitterrific by the Icon FactoryBest iPhone Productivity App:
OmniFocus by the Omni GroupBest iPhone Healthcare & Fitness App:
MIM from MIMVista
methodshop | Comments (0) | Generalgadgets,gadget,gadgets shop, latest gadgets, new gadgets
June 04, 2008
iPhone 3G and WWDC Announcement Predictions
There’s no doubt that an iPhone update is imminent. But while nearly everyone has agreed on that, nobody knows anything definite about the specifics… except that the new iPhone will be compatible with the Microsoft Exchange email services. There’s a link on the main Apple.com iPhone page where you can apply to be a beta tester.
In regards to the iPhone, here’s what we know today:
- Apple.com lists the iPhone as ?¢‚Ǩ?ìCurrently Unavailable.?¢‚Ǩ¬ù Stock is so low that you can’t buy it. Usually a good sign that a new model is coming out soon.
- Apple continues to make iPhone sales deals across the globe. Netherlands, Hong Kong, Singapore, India and Australia were all announced with the last few months.
- A 3G settings screen was found by hackers in the latest firmware update for the iPhone.
- The new iPhone will most likely be unveiled during Steve Jobs?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢ keynote speech at Apple?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s WWDC (World Wide Developers Conference) on June 9th.
- AT&T is prohibiting retail-store employees from taking vacations between June 15 and July 12, claiming that they?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢re expecting a ?¢‚Ǩ?ìheavy selling period?¢‚Ǩ¬ù. They implemented a similar policy last year for the iPhone launch.
- AT&T executives have said numerous times that all of their smartphones (the iPhone is one of the) will support 3G networking soon.
- The Apple Stores have been out of stock of the iPhone for weeks. And people are forming daily lines outside Apple stores that still have a few iPhones in stock.
And according to MethodShop.com, here are some rumors about what Steve Jobs might announce at the WWDC on June 9th
methodshop | Comments (1) | Generalgadgets,gadget,gadgets shop, latest gadgets, new gadgets
June 01, 2008
Converting Audio File Formats in iTunes
iTunes is much more than a digital music jukebox. It’s capable of handling many different tasks involving digital media. Some of iTunes’ most popular features include buying music and vidoes online, burning CDs, and syncing files with your iPod or iPhone.
But one of the lesser known functions hidden within iTunes is the ability to convert audio files.
Why would you need to convert an audio file? Converting audio file types can be useful in many different situations. Here are a few examples:
- You have an AAC file in iTunes that’s not compatible with your Zune that can play MP3 and not AAC files.
- A WAV file needs to be emailed to a client for approval but it’s too big. You need to convert the file to an AAC so it’s small enough to easily send via email.
- You are making a music video and want to use a song you got online as the soundtrack. However, the editing program won’t import the song because it doesn’t support MP3 or AAC.
- You need to remove the DRM (Digital Rights Management) from an AAC song you purchased from the iTunes Store (see step #7).
Many programs that convert audio files into different formats are pretty complicated and usually cost money. But not iTunes. iTunes is simple, fast and best of all… free.
Tutorial: Converting Audio File Formats in iTunes
methodshop | Comments (1) | Generalgadgets,gadget,gadgets shop, latest gadgets, new gadgets
May 22, 2008
iPhone Line Forms Already at Apple’s 5th Ave Store
“This morning I had to go buy another copy of OS X Leopard (my original copy got scratched). As I walked closer to the Apple Store on 5th Avenue I was somewhat surprised to see a line of about 50 people waiting in line. The 3G iPhone announcement isn’t rumored to happen until June 9th right? Are these people going to wait in line for over 2 weeks or do they know something we don’t?
I asked the security guard by the Cube what was going on and he said it was for the iPhone. That’s all he knew and he very was annoyed at me for asking him about the iPhone line. I’m doubt I was the first person to ask.
Still confused I walked downstairs and bought my copy of Leopard. Before I left the Apple Store, I asked Jessica, my cashier, if the people outside were waiting for the new 3G iPhone. She cryptically said “They are waiting to buy an iPhone. We will sell them whatever phones we have in stock.” She was kind of pissed off too.
For some reason the majority of people waiting in line were Chinese. I was later informed by a friend that to get around iPhone quantity restrictions (one one per person), you can pay people (usually from Chinatown I guess) to buy you extra iPhones and even hold your place in line.
I wonder how many of these people will still be in line on June 9th.
methodshop | Comments (0) | Generalgadgets,gadget,gadgets shop, latest gadgets, new gadgets
May 12, 2008
iPhone 3G Settings [pic]
Still doubt that the 3G iPhone is coming soon?
This settings screen with a 3G toggle switch (see image) was found in the latest beta release of the iPhone’s 2.0 firmware.
Why would you want to turn off 3G? Because 3G drains cell phone batteries very quickly. In this screenshot, Apple has included a toggle setting to turn 3G off, and use AT&T’s slower but more battery friendly EDGE network instead. Probably a very useful feature if you are almost out of juice.
When can we expect to see a 3G iPhone and how much will it cost?
methodshop | Comments (0) | Generalgadgets,gadget,gadgets shop, latest gadgets, new gadgets
April 30, 2008
Who really wants a Macbook Air
Who really wants a Macbook Air
I just had to share this ;-)
No words, just a simple demo of why one product is better than another.
Oh, and the answer to Who really wants a Macbook Air – is ME (despite the video)
Once an Apple Fan, always an Apple Fan!
Gadgets boy | Comments (0) | Generalgadgets,gadget,gadgets shop, latest gadgets, new gadgets
April 21, 2008
Raw Meat iPod Cover
A Japanese company called Solid Alliance is selling an Apple iPod cover that’s designed to look like RAW MEAT. It comes in a cellophane-and-Styrofoam package just like meat does. We’ve reviewed plenty of iPod/iPhone cases before, but this one gets bonus points for originality. I wonder what my dog will think.
iPod… It’s what’s for dinner?
More info at rakuten.co.jp and therawfeed.com
methodshop | Comments (0) | Generalgadgets,gadget,gadgets shop, latest gadgets, new gadgets
