Lifestyle posts

Simplifying life has been an unofficial mantra of Apple for years and their marketing ha proven to be effective in portraying this to people. Their latest marketing push for “iCloud Harmony” highlights the ability of various devices to sync with the iPhone. Is this technology really worthy of Apple marketing? Perhaps I’m a snob but this is something that I’ve come to expect with mobile devices. I have all 3 mobile operating systems in my pocket at any given time and both Android and Windows 7 allow me to take photos from them and have them on my computer and tablets, just as Apple is promoting with iCloud….

The parties. The entertainment. The latest and greatest in geek, music, film, and more geek. That’s what happens every year as thousands descend on Austin, Texas, for the annual SXSW Festival. If you’re going, the excitement is probably already building. If you’re not going, do you regret it already? Fear not. This infographic by TimeRazor recaps the events that took place last year and prepares you for what’s in store this year. There will be plenty of coverage to allow people to experience it without going, though it probably won’t be as exciting. We’ll be covering it this year. We’ll send pictures….

Almost every time gets a new iDevice, they download LOTS of apps, especially fitness ones. They see apps that will supposedly make them marathoners within weeks, and during the first day, they exercise really hard. The next day becomes a rest one, and on the third day, the apps goes to rest for good. But Nike + GPS (1.99) will actually keep you running and having a good time. First off, let me explain what this app does. Instead of needing a sensor in your shoe like the app that came free when you got your device, this app simply uses your GPS in your iPhone. Even though the app is compatible with iPod Touch,…

Western society has always had certain expectations of privacy that have been disturbed or reaffirmed at various times in history. We didn’t want this journalist, that politician, or this law enforcement agency trampling on our rights to do what we want (as long as others aren’t hurt as a result) during the personal times in our lives. Things have changed. Privacy is quickly becoming an illusion for many who utilize social media. The somewhat odd part is that very few seem to actually care. If someone were to ask a person if they would be willing to broadcast their physical whereabouts whenever…

The world’s third-largest mobile phone maker has seen some recent success, posting their first profit in mobile for the first time in seven quarters. Now, they’re hoping to bank on the momentum by trying to partner with Google as a future provider of the Nexus phone. There’s a certain prestige that comes with having the Nexus name. Google’s own version of a handset that features Android has not had a ton of success with other phone makers, but it’s good for the companies that carry the name because it means the latest and greatest in Android technology. “We’re heavily in discussions,” Ramchan Woo,…

Climate change has been a hot topic on land and in the air for some time now. We have data that tells us what’s happening. We have images of polar bears stuck on drifting ice that melted to a nub. We can feel the heat (and cold), smell the quality of the air, and see the statistics that show us something is going awry in nature. We have only been able to skim the surface for the most part when it comes to the seas. The Catlin Seaview Survey seeks to change that. With the help of Google, the organizations wants to establish a 360 degree panoramic vision of the full 2400km stretch of the Great Barrier Reff and Coral…

For most, Facebook is an internet tool for keeping up with our friends and family while broadcasting the “interesting” things that are happening in our own lives. For businesses, it’s a relatively-untapped marketing tool that has a world of potential but that often doesn’t offer the results that are promised. People don’t want Facebook to be a marketing tool and Facebook is obligated to them more than businesses (for now). The key to success with Facebook is EdgeRank, the algorithm that Facebook uses to determine how high on a user’s feed your posts will appear. Chronology has a little to do with…

Modifying board games has been a “thing” for a couple of decades now but in the last couple of years it has become somewhat of an internet sensation when people change board games to match various internet properties. It’s a fun distraction and relatively common, but this one stood out as exceptionally creative. The folks over at uFunk put it together. You can download a full-size version here. In the meantime, check out this “Social Media Monopoly” if Risk isn’t your game. …

It doesn’t take a political pundit to know that the Solyndra scandal has hurt the energy industry’s credibility. Investors are wary, but the same may not be true for direct consumers. One Block of the Grid compiled data from 45,000 solar estimates and put together a visualization that depicts from state to state how much it costs to “go solar” for homeowners. The interest is likely spurred by increased utility prices more than just a desire to be eco-friendly; do-it-yourself energy at the home tends to pay for itself in less than 2 decades. In Louisiana, for example, the cost after state, regional,…

When Rovio CMO Peter Vester appeared at a ball last December, his wife, Teija Vesterbacka, came in a dress that awkwardly “paid homage” to their top-selling game, Angry Birds. This wasn’t just any ball in any venue; it was the highly-exclusive annual Presidential Independence Day reception at the Finnish Presidential Palace. Whether it was her idea or his is unclear, but the “stunning” gown was designed to make an impression. What that impression was, we have no idea….