Lifestyle posts

Social media and the internet in general had dramatic effects on the election in 2008. This year is proving to give even more influence to online opinions and news aggregation as bumps are going up and down dramatically both with the GOP primaries and with the general public’s opinion of all candidates, including President Barack Obama. This infographic by MDG breaks down how social media has impacted the election so far and what effects it will have come November. Click to enlarge. …

Nearly a year ago, Corning put out a video called “A Day Made of Glass.” In it, they showed a future that was enhanced by the use of touchscreens and other variations of glass products that seems less like “Minority Report” and more like a not-so-distant reality. This week, they’ve added to the video by releasing another titled “A Day Made of Glass 2: Same Day. Expanded Corning Vision.” First, here’s the original video: It was inspiring to see the potential, but didn’t quite take the world to the next level that many of these technologies promise. Now, their most recent video finishes the job with kid-attacking…

In a great economy, it’s hard to start a retail company and get attention in industries where the major players have already hit the field. Things are rebounding around the country to some extent but it’s definitely not what most would consider to be “great.” That isn’t stopping one Southern California shoe company from making a splash by using the most important ally for growing businesses: social media. There are many huge companies in the women’s footwear industry that make it challenging for new companies to break through. A decade ago, success stories in this industry were few and far between….

As much as it deserves a tirade about professional recruiting, brand positioning, and using human relations as a public relations tool, the video that Twitter released recently as a recruitment tool will do one thing very well. It will work. Forget the fact that it was intentionally, professionally done unprofessionally. Forget the cheesy attempts at satirical humor that may or may not elicit a chuckle depending on the disposition of the viewer. Forget the clear buy-in by CEO Dick Costolo. Instead, let’s consider that it will be the second most-watched video Twitter has put out in nearly a year…

Over the past few decades starting with the computer revolution and continuing through the digital age, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology has been a leader in cutting edge (and often bleeding edge) styles of educating the brightest minds around the world. It’s no wonder that in an atmosphere where free is not always free and content is being safeguarded for the sake of political aspirations and monetary gains, MIT is blazing the trail for an open form of communication through OpenCourseWare. The infographic below breaks down how OCW has changed education, which programs are currently…

LinkedIn and Facebook may have the market cornered for building relationships between business professionals, many startups are starting to pop up that take it to the next level. One such startup is Favo.rs. I was first turnedonto Favo’rs a couple of months ago from an article on Wired. A “good ol’ boy” network, as they describe it, Favo.rs allows users to connect with other professionals just as LinkedIn and Facebook. The difference is in the accountability aspect; with Favors, users get to keep track of what they do for others and what others are doing for them. The interface is solid, keeping…

Today is a different world when it comes to political campaigns. A decade or two ago given the same candidates of today with the same scenarios but a less-prevalent internet, Ron Paul would be in single-digits in the early primaries and Rick Perry (and possibly Herman Cain) would still be alive and well. Mitt Romney would have a commanding lead and Santorum would have placed 3rd or 4th in Iowa instead of winning it. The internet has completely changed the way that candidates get their message out. It has completely changed the virility of news and opinions. It has completely changed the impact of…

Just as movies are made outside of Hollywood and cars are built outside of Detroit, entrepreneurs, startups, and venture capitalists are present in places other than Silicon Valley. Worldwide, there are business-friendly environments that are conducive to expansion of technological advancements. This graphic by Gist examines these various “Entrepreneur Meccas” where talent and dollars collide to bring advancements to the world. Click to enlarge. (Via: Gist. H/T: Cleveland VW.)…

The “Startup Sea” is broad and loaded with life. There are those who are considered predators, which means someone has to be the prey. It’s a self-sustaining culture as long as there’s enough people (and dollars) looking for “the next big thing” coming into our lives. That part, at least, seems to be consistent. Everyone from angel investors to tech bloggers play a role. It can be an ugly process to create something wonderful. This graphic by our friends at Udemy examines this ecosystem and makes the distinct roles come to life. Click to enlarge. …

Today is SOPA Blackout Day to oppose the bills currently being proposed in Congress, Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and Protect-IP Act (PIPA). You may have noticed that there are several major websites that are down today, including Wikipedia, Reddit, and Mozilla. You may have noticed that you Google has a message on their homepage encouraging people to contact Congress. What exactly is SOPA and PIPA? In essence, these are attempts by the US government being fueled by the entertainment industry to fight online piracy. They are being positioned and publicized as anti-piracy acts by government…