digisqueaks

gaming industry enables social networking

// November 18th, 2009 // No Comments » // applications, gaming, online, social media

This morning, I read a great post at the UW MCDM blog, Flip the Media. The post was titled, Social Networks and Video Games by Brian Johnson. The post went on to tell how game companies are just starting to work social networking into their systems and how useful social media integration could be.

When I read the post, it got me to thinking, why has it taken consoles this long to integrate social networking into the systems? Why didn’t PC games jump on the bandwagon a long time ago…and why haven’t they yet? Is they Wii going to jump on at all?

Yesterday, came the release of an Xbox update that added Twitter, Facebook, Last.fm, and Zune support. Here’s a few of the features (accessible with an Xbox LIVE Gold Membership), as listed on Xbox.com:

• Facebook: The usual, plus invite friends to play over Xbox LIVE and see your friends up close with full screen photos
• Twitter: Read, reply, and post updates to your Twitter feed and keep up to date in real time
• Last.fm: Explore radio stations, skip, ban and love tracks as you listen
• Zune: Instant-on 1080p HD streaming video, share experiences through Video Party

Today, comes the PlayStation 3 Firmware update which will enable people to:

• Update your Facebook News Feed with Trophy and PlayStation store activity. It also enables developers to set specific criteria to publish additional game information to your feed.

No Twitter, or Last.fm support just yet. I seriously hope that they continue to add social networking features to all of the systems. It is a great way for people to share a common interest. You should be able to link to friends and share what’s going on as you play. As Johnson said, it would be great if players could connect and share tips and strategies for certain games as they came across certain areas in games. The Xbox update gives the ability to see which of your Facebook friends use Xbox LIVE and add them to your Xbox friends list. I really hope this is a feature that also gets added to PlayStation eventually.

The gaming consoles are just starting to dip their toes in the water on this one. I hope they decide to jump right in because it it would be great to see everyone connect while doing something that they enjoy.

internet enables the otherwise invisible

// November 16th, 2009 // No Comments » // online, social media

This morning, as I was reading through a slew of RSS articles, one headline caught my eye. Russian Cop Uses YouTube to Expose Police Corruption from ReadWriteWeb (@rww). The article started out

In a breathtakingly risky move, a former Russian police officer has taken to the Internet in full uniform to detail the corruption, danger, and brutality of his line of work.

The video serves as a call-to-action of sorts. Dymovsky wants people to start standing up to corruption. What is so amazing is that he is someone who might not have been heard at all had it not been for the ability for anyone to post a YouTube video. The internet, and social media, gives everyone the equal opportunity to be heard. Of course, it is a regular occurrence nowadays, but seeing articles like this really make me appreciate how connected the world can be and how everyone can have a voice that is not only heard, but shared.

DROID – good iPhone alternative

// November 10th, 2009 // No Comments » // cellphones, gadgets, technology

Well, I’m in the group of tech geek Apple fans who can’t wait any longer for iPhone to end its AT&T exclusivity. As soon as the DROID reviews started coming out, I knew I had to have it. Luckily for me, my “new-every-2″ came up the day before the DROID release. That, paired with an online discount of $100 made it a sealed deal.

I was expecting much less than I got. First, advice to other buyers…never go by the in store models when it comes to the over all feel. I don’t know what it is, but the in store models never feel the same as the actual model that you buy. It was the same case with my Alias. When I felt the Alias, it felt flimsy and light. It also seemed like the hinge would snap easily. When I got the actual phone, it felt substantial with a strong hinge. It lasted me two years and still looks brand new. The same exact thing happened when I went in to see the DROID (after I had already clicked “checkout” online). It felt like a Zune, or some other plastic junk. When I received it in the mail, it was much heavier than I thought it would be. It was solid and sturdy. If you want to test a phone before buying…try to find someone who has one.

Yes, as I admitted in the first sentence…I’m am an Apple fan. I have been waiting and waiting for the iPhone to be added to Verizon’s offerings. There are rumors it might happen next year, but I am sick of waiting. I have been holding out for “the” smartphone. Given the reviews, DROID sounded like a solid phone.

As many reviewers said, yes, the camera is junk. But as they also said, it is most likely not the hardware, but the software that is the issue. I have a feeling this will be fixed soon because there are already rumors of a firmware update on the way. Other than that, my only other qualm with the phone is that the camera button is right in the same location where I would normally have my hand when holding a conversation. Every time I call someone, I feel my hand press down on the camera button. Luckily, it’s not a big deal because you have to press and hold the button and it takes a little time for the camera to start.

As far as interface and software goes, the DROID is different then the iPhone, but not in a bad way. It’s just different. I found myself trying gestures that the DROID just doesn’t recognize. It’s going to take a little while to get my iPod Touch motions out of my mind. As far as syncing goes, I have a Mac so the iPhone software syncs nicely with iCal, Mail, iTunes, etc. But I also use Gmail for my personal mail. I also sync my iCal and contacts to my Gmail accounts so making the move to Google Accounts on the DROID was a piece of cake. I can still use all of my Mac software and then have it sync as usual to my Google Accounts. When I go to use my DROID, the syncing with the Google Accounts is automatic and all of my changes are there as well.

The Android Market is nice, but missing a lot of key apps that I have gotten used to on my iPod Touch. Thing is…it’s relatively new. I’m sure everything that is missing will soon be added if Android phones take off as it looks they will.

The keyboard is nice, but not necessary. The on screen keyboard is more than adequate, especially if you’re used to the iPhone/iPod Touch keyboard. One thing that is nice that can’t be found on the iPhone OS is the suggestions as you type. Very convenient. Yes, they try to auto correct or suggest words as a little bubble, but on the Android OS, you get an actual scrolling list just above the keyboard from which you can quickly select words.

What else? The issue of the drag/drop media is not really an issue for me. I am not usually far from various music devices. If I’m not near anything, there are several apps on the Android Market, including Pandora and Slacker Radio. That’s more than enough to keep me satisfied.

Those were the major items that concerned me. If anyone is looking to buy one and has specific questions, feel free to ask. So far, I am more than happy with my purchase. I’d give it a 9/10 with a little room for the OS to grow. I can’t wait for the OS to reach the top of its game.

twitter lists = organization at last

// November 2nd, 2009 // No Comments » // applications, online, social media, technology

Alright, so I have to admit that I didn’t bother using Twitter lists when it was first introduced. I was just messing around with my account and decided, eh, why not. I made a private list and started adding a few friends. I instantly realized what all the buzz was about. I follow around 750 people on a daily basis. Do I see every tweet that comes in? Definitely not. Out of that 750, there are only 10 or so people that I actually know personally. LIST! Now I can I see the posts of just those few people. I can make it private and call it whatever I’d like. I can make lists of professors I’d like to follow, blogs, tech experts, etc.

If you have yet to jump on the Twitter list bandwagon, here’s a few resources that may be of some help:

HOW TO: Use Twitter Lists – Mashable (The Social Media Guide)

There’s A List For That – From the Twitter Blog

10 Twitter Lists You Should Follow – Read Write Web

Listorious – Keeps a directory of public Twitter lists. You can search or browse and find the lists you’d like to follow.

TweetMeme Lists – Finds the lists that are most tweeted about.