Author: cebliss

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Learn about your surroundings: Wikipedia Nearby

Image: Wikipedia
Image: Wikipedia

Just in time for the summer tourism season:

Wikipedia announced a new feature this week: Wikipedia Nearby

The feature will work on mobile devices, as well as the standard browser version of Wikipedia. The device will look for geotagged articles, and present them in a list format based on distance. It also prioritizes articles that are missing media, with a goal of encouraging photos and media uploads from mobile users.

There seems to be a nice balance in making the product better for the user, and encouraging the user to make the product better.

From the web:

Go on a Wikipedia scavenger hunt with Wikipedia Nearby — Wikimedia blog.

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Tablets set to overtake PCs

toughpadA new industry forecast indicates that, by 2015, tablet shipments could outpace PCs by 2015 (combined laptops and desktops).

Shipments are going up, and prices are expected t0 fall nearly 11% in the next year. Also declining, is screen size, with “sub-8-inch” screens expected to outsell larger tablets.

“What started as a sign of tough economic times has quickly shifted to a change int he global computing paradigm, with mobile being the primary benefactor” – Ryan Reith, IDC Mobility Trackers.

What this means for my mom:

  • When your laptop dies in a couple years, you will likely not be buying a replacement laptop.

From the web:

IDC Forecasts Worldwide Tablet Shipments to Surpass Portable PC Shipments in 2013, Total PC Shipments in 2015 – prUS24129713.

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Rumored iOS7 look

9-5 Mac is quoting sources indicating a very different looking operating system for iOS7.

Essentially, textures will give way to flatness, and black & white interface elements.

What this means for my mom:

  • Your phone is really elegant now, but the design will change.
  • It will likely STILL be elegant, but a different kind of elegant.
  • If you want to keep the old look… don’t update to iOS7. But that’s not something I’d advise.
  • This is Apple… so until it’s actually released, don’t put too much stock in any rumors.

From the web:

Jony Ive’s new look for iOS 7: black, white, and flat all over | 9to5Mac.

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AT&T’s $0.61 administrative fee

AT&T Wireless has added a $0.61 “Administrative Fee” to their wireless bills. It’s small, and somewhat vague. But it’s there, and I probably wouldn’t have noticed.

What my mom should know:

  • The fee, that is nearly unnoticeable at $0.61 per month, will rake in hundreds of millions of dollars for the carrier this year.
  • But… all of the other major US carriers are doing the same thing (with higher fees)

 

From the web:

AT&T adds administrative fee to wireless bills, stands to rake in hundreds of millions from unwitting customers | The Verge.

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Shazam brings a passive approach to the second screen

Shazam’s latest iPad update includes a new “Auto-tagging” feature that allows the user to set up a more passive background tagging process, when watching TV.

Rather than having to remember that Shazam allows you to tag every program, or watch for the little Shazam icon on a commercial, the new feature allows constant listening. Identified items will be loaded onto an in-app carousel.

(Side note: Am I the only one who fumbles after seeing the Shazam icon during a 30 second commercial to pull out my phone, open Shazam, and tag a commercial?)

How I would explain this to my mom:

  • Your iPad will look up information from the show FOR you, that you can look through while you watch the show.
  • TV shows will create more experiences for this app, that accompany the show you are watching on TV. TV gets much more interactive.
  • Once this feature is turned on, it will keep listening, and cataloging for you.

Via: TechCrunch.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKOowwejuAQ

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A new easy way to make your Twitter account “hack-proof”

You’ve gotten the tweets:

LOL… check out this picture of you…

 

And you know that guy you sort of met at that one thing a few years ago, has had his Twitter account compromised.

Twitter just launched a new 2 step authentication process that can help you from falling into the same trap.

What this mean for the non-geek:

  • The only people who can log into your account are those who know your password, and are holding your phone. That makes it really hard to “hack” your account.
  • If you use this, logging in takes an extra step… but it is probably worth that security.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IsdvJI0AK5M

 

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Mailbox goes to the iPad

Mailbox, the Gmail client for iOS, is designed as “Modern tech for an ancient medium”. It is designed to help the user get to the enviable “Inbox Zero” every day with the ability to easily archive or even “snooze” emails on your mobile device.

mb

This morning, it’s app is launching in the Apple App Store for iPad.

I always enjoy seeing how app designers differentiate between different experiences.

Mailbox founder Gentry Underwood talks about the design issues in this article.

“Constraint is the friend of design,” Underwood said. “It’s easier for us to create a simple mail experience [for the phone]. We have to resist the temptation to take all these pixels and put in all these bells and whistles.”

via Mailbox Takes Its Email App To iPad, With Android Waiting In The Wings – ReadWrite.

(Image: Mailbox)