Take a minute, close your eyes and imagine Internet speeds reaching not megabits but gigabits. Super-fast video, more advanced Web app development. Now imagine the influence such speeds would have on a city like Philadelphia. Imagine the growth of the local technology sector and the influx of venture capital money.
To the casual outsider from Europe or Asia gigabit Internet might not be all that exciting, but in the United States where the average user is on much slower megabit Internet connections, if not dialup, gigabit Internet access is a “just beyond our reach” Eden.
The whose-who of the Philadelphia Twitter scene converged on the Manayunk Brewery in the Manayunk section of the city for the 140 Conference Meetup. The 140 Conference an international conference all about the microblogging site and overall phenomenon, has been hosting smaller meetups in locations across the globe.
In the interest of all things social about social media. I’m posting pictures from the event.
I saw this on Gizmodo and had to share it. We sure could have used a Roboplow in Philadelphia this year with the record snowfall we saw.
Though it seems like the weather’s warming up now, think back to February when Mother Nature was piling on the snow with callous indifference. Feel that bitter cold on your face, that strain in your lower back. Now meet RoboPlow.This is the idea that every geek has had, but the guys at IdeaLaboratories were just fed up enough to actually see it through. The RoboPlow sports a 50″ blade, six wheel drive, and a bad attitude when it comes to all things snow.
In fact, watching this formidable machine slice its way through snowbanks, I’m wondering if the RoboPlow isn’t a little too powerful, if we didn’t let this arms race with Mother Nature push us to create a technology that should never have been created. Watching this video and seeing the RoboPlow barrel down the driveway, I felt a nervous feeling in the pit of my stomach that it was just going to keep going into the street, plowing straight on through the traffic. (Gizmodo)
Check it out:
Would you buy one? Post your thoughts in the comments.
We’re all guilty of it, some more than others. Tweeting without thinking about the consequences of what we write is almost a right of passage on social media and on Twitter especially. The quick and easy nature of the Twitter makes it a great place to blurt out ideas and thoughts. But beware of what you say – there are almost always some type of consequence.
A great example of making this mistake was seen recently when Twitter engineer Alex Payne tweeted about some new features being developed at Twitter. This tweet, now deleted, made technology news headlines and according to TechCrunch many many third party app developers worried.
Payne wrote, “If you had some of the nifty site features that we Twitter employees have, you might not want to use a desktop client. (You will soon.)”
The Economist magazine has a special report online about the growth of social networks and the power they carry. The Economist at one point predicted the end of social networks, but it hasn’t happened yet. Martin Giles, senior business corespondent for the Economist, says that it might still happen but as of right now these networks are showing no sign of dying. Giles points out that social networks will continue to grow but like Myspace, they will reach critical mass and people will lose interest.
This interview is worth a listen. What do you think? Will social networks ever go by the wayside? Post your thoughts in the comments.
Update: Jason Calacanis contacted me via Facebook today to tell me that there are plans to have ThisWeekIn.com be the place where all the shows are cataloged. Thanks Jason!
So for those who know me, know I’m a huge fan of Leo Laporte and the TWiT Network. Leo Laporte, a TechTV alumnus, Tech Guy radio show host, and the man behind the vision that is TWiT, is an amazing guy. He’s created such a brand for himself and all those involved.
On his main site he streams his shows live as well as providing audio and sometimes video of the shows. Now if you don’t watch the live stream, you might never know how big this brand actually is. But it’s actually much larger than what is seen by those who just go to the TWiT homepage.
There are 3 main players, or maybe even more, involved with the production these shows. Leo is the main one, of course. Then there is Jason Calacanis, of Weblogs, Inc. and Mahalo.com fame, and Alex Lindsay of the Pixel Corps, a merry band of media guildsmen.
Google’s email services, GMail, is great. It offers so many great features, but lacks one that many find essential to a great email program – a HTML signature.
Gmail is more than 5 years old and finally out of Beta, but for some reason the Googlers still don’t see the necessity of an HTML signature.
There are many hacks available on the Internet, but many of them are browser specific and for that matter computer specific. This means that your HTML signature resides in a specific browser on a computer. Though you can duplicate the install on multiple computers it’s not that streamlined, to say the least.
There is an easier way that is cross browser and multiple computer friendly.
What’s Needed
A GMail Account (duh)
An HTML Text Editor or a WYSIWYG Editor
Web Browser
Canned Responses (GMail Lab Feature)
Let’s Get Started
First, you’re going to need to code up your signature in HTML. You have to use some deprecated code, because email systems don’t support external stylesheets and other newer coding standards.
Tables are a must (and this is the only time you’ll ever hear me say it) if you wan’t any layout to your signature.
First, let’s be clear: the pursuits of journalism and the pursuits of publishing aren’t the same.
Journalists seek to create compelling information that is helpful and news-worthy.
Publishing seeks to push more product, deliver higher circulation value, and create more value for sponsors/advertisers/money-holders.
Publishers need content creators of some stripe to do what they do. Journalists don’t need publishers, but publishers pay, so that’s a decent place to connect with an audience and be paid.
But never confuse the two.
Chris is RIGHT. There are the journalists/content producers and then there are publishers. Part of why newspapers continue a downward spiral to extinction is that the PUBLISHERS are still trying to stick to their old models of revenue and not adapting. They are getting rid of the journalists instead of reshaping their business plans.
My friend Bill Larson is an amazing guy… an inspiration. He has lost more than 160 lbs without surgery and is sharing how he did it with the world.
Bill is an avid tweeter and blogger. He has made a bunch of appearances on shows such as Dr. Oz and the New York Fox affiliate (video below). He really is a great role model for a country whose people struggle with weight on a daily basis. It really shows that something can be done. It’s never hopeless.
Bill points out something in the video embedded below: You have to love yourself enough to realize that you need to make a change for the better. You need to have want to lose weight. There are going to be good days and bad days. If you have a bad day, don’t give up, just do better the next day. The key is to not give up.
I am lucky enough to know Bill and have his support as I continue to fluctuate on the scale and fight with my weight, and for that I’m grateful. I am also very lucky to have the support from my friends and family. That and the love for yourself and your own well being is also so very important.
Subtitle: The ultimate guide to themes, trends and styles in Web design.
Author: Patrick McNeil
Publisher: HOW Books
Price: $25.00 USD/$29.99 CAN
Rating: 5/5 Stars
Comments: A must have book for anyone who is into Web design, Graphic Design or just into the Web. Full of great ideas for inspiration and amazing color palettes.
Take a minute, close your eyes and imagine Internet speeds reaching not megabits but gigabits. Super-fast video, more advanced Web app development. Now imagine the influence such speeds would have on a city like Philadelphia. Imagine the growth of the local technology sector and the influx of venture capital money.
The whose-who of the Philadelphia Twitter scene converged on the Manayunk Brewery in the Manayunk section of the city for the 140 Conference Meetup. The 140 Conference an international conference all about the microblogging site and overall phenomenon, has been hosting smaller meetups in locations across the globe.
We’re all guilty of it, some more than others. Tweeting without thinking about the consequences of what we write is almost a right of passage on social media and on Twitter especially. The quick and easy nature of the Twitter makes it a great place to blurt out ideas and thoughts. But beware of what you say – there are almost always some type of consequence.
My friend Bill Larson is an amazing guy… an inspiration. He has lost more than 160 lbs without surgery and is sharing how he did it with the world.
