fashiontechsavvy:

Cheers to the Weekend!

Screencasting on a Chromebook, There's an App for that!

Okay, so my expensive and powerful Apple Macbook Pro needs a new network card of which seems a daunting task at the moment. Replacing a network card on a PC or Linux box would be a breeze …not so much on an all-in-one Macbook Pro.

Living in Saint John NB, Canada there are no Apple Retail Stores or “Genius bars” nearby. Besides with the new series of Mac Laptops and lack of warranty shipping it away doesn’t seem to be a suitable option.

I personally have about 7+ computing devices including the following:

iMac (in storage), Macbook Pro (needs network replacement), iPad 1 (tablet), iPhone 3G (smartphone), PowerPC Mac Mini G4 (Using as Server), Windows 7 PC (Work Computer), Chromebook Samsung Series 5 (mobile stateless cloud computer) , Linux Laptop (Old n Slow Toshiba satellite A70), etc.  

I think it’s a fair statement to say, “I’m a Power User when it comes to using a computer daily”. 

As a user that uses the internet for everything I’m curious to see if I can reply on only Cloud and Open Source software. No I wasn’t one of the luck few that received a Google Chrome Cr-48 or have any Google fanboy mentality. I’m not bias toward Apple or Windows neither.

Google Chrome Nothing Net Challenge

Where my daily computing tasks have me performing on various operating systems and using many different proprietary software I’ve issued a challenge to myself.

Use only a Google Chromebook for Three(3) months for everything computing in my daily life! Only Web Apps & Open Source allowed, I must either find a Cloud Based App available or develop one in order to get the job done.

I will also be screen casting my progress along with blogging about what apps I either created or found to complete each task.

Progress Week 1:

In order to start screen casting on a Chromebook, I required a Cloud Hosting & Web Based process for recording, editing, and publishing my website. I’ve only started the challenge and already the task is becoming challenging due to the lack of efficient screencasting apps available on the Google Chrome Web Store.

The only available app prior to creating my own was an app that lacked any noticeable options for publishing or even uploading to websites like Youtube or Vimeo. This makes the limited selection useless, therefore I’ve found 3 existing suitable websites to complete the task on the fly and submitted apps for them to the Chrome Web Store for others.

There are listed below:

Screenr

http://bit.ly/M5pyHy (shorten url)

https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/ajmdmhlhifnkjklgeikfdmffiigfoged?utm_source=chrome-ntp-icon

ScreenCastle

http://bit.ly/L2qPiZ  (shorten url)

https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/anlacahaipmkiacbibndkpkocgocgefb?utm_source=chrome-ntp-icon

screencast-o-matic

http://bit.ly/LtzDYU  (shorten url)

https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/pieikpjipjhppelgjnaekjomlapbfnjp?utm_source=chrome-ntp-icon

The next challenge included installing a Java plugin which was taken care of with a Goggle extension called “Rndr”.

Rndr enables you to use Chromebook and the Chrome browser to seamlessly access web applications that require Java, Silverlight, Flash, Shockwave, GoToMeeting and other plugins normally used with Internet Explorer. Rndr takes care of all plugin rendering, converts all content to HTML4 and HTML5, and then presents it seamlessly in Chrome. Once you use Rndr to view a website, future visits to the same website will automatically be handled by Rndr.

Rndr

http://bit.ly/HB4PFA (shorten url)

https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/aeanibohjlokjdpopecapcfaacnhdifi

I found some great Google Docs invoice templates and designed them to replace my previous iWork documents. I also abandoned my irc clients like mirc, xchat, and colloquy for mibbit irc Chrome extension along with my own web based irc chat embedded in to this website.

Mibbit

http://bit.ly/N2Eogg (shorten url)

https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/pohpiiceeffdepjkcikeifcpecegppod?utm_source=chrome-ntp-icon

Kayol Hope Live! - Web IRC Chat

http://kayolhope.me/cam

IRC bots of course are programmed in various programming languages like python and therefore already control the exiting channels.

iTunes not being an option, I’ve switched to Grooveshark for streaming music without needing to download or sync and can’t see turning back. Seriously, my playlist changes to frequently.

Grooveshark

http://bit.ly/N2EKDv (shorten url)

https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/blelaljgakacjdeaggpjilljobdmboff?utm_source=chrome-ntp-icon

My alternative to iTunes for movies of course is Netflix or torrents via uTorrent for Google Chrome.

Netflix

http://movies.netflix.com

In conclusion:

I’m really excited I found an alternative to do screen casting without being limited to Screen Flow or Camtasia. 

 

shortformblog:

The new Mobile Mindset study, conducted by Harris Interactive, has revealed a great deal of new information about the habits of mobile phone users. Nearly 60% of those surveyed said they don’t go more than an hour without checking their phone, while 73% said they felt a sense of panic if/when their device is lost. The most surprising statistic though, at least to us, were the primary reasons people fear losing their phones — only six percent of those surveyed said they were worried that valuable account information could be stolen, while 38% cited the cost and hassle of replacing the phone.

cnet:

MacBook Melee: The biggest Air takes on the littlest Pro:

The updated versions of both the 13” MacBook Air and the 13” MacBook Pro cost $1,199. So how do they stack up against each other?

Read our full comparison

GoodBye Blogger, Hello Google+

Even though Blogger is being retired for Google+, I never got to try it so I'll sign up and post while I still can. My main site/blog is on Tumblr anyway at http://kayolhope.me

dontholditwrong:

Don’t hold the Samsung Galaxy S III wrong.

cnet:

Apple files patent for iPhone with changeable lenses: 

The patent would cover for a portable electronic device, such as a mobile phone, and would make the device’s back panel removable, allowing users to switch to a different lenses.

In design terms, this would mark a significant departure for the iPhone, since Apple has always shipped its signature device completely sealed.

Instead of switching out the lens, iPhone photography aficionados currently use add-ons to get around the limitation.

The patent may have been part of the late Steve Jobs’ grand plans for making iPhone cameras even more appealing to photographers. Jobs, who was interested in photography himself, envisioned an improved camera in a meeting with Ren Ng, CEO of the photography company Lytro, last year.

Read more

parislemon:

Innovation.

(via @JoeTierney)

lavernepereira:

Sony PlayStation 4 - a cloud gaming console

According to Scott Rohde, CP of Sony Worldwide Studios, told GamesIndustry International that it’s “absolutely inevitable that [cloud technology]’s going to be a part of what everyone does,” adding that he expects to see cloud gaming become the norm over the next five years.

domaille:

All the time…

brianduprix:

Face.com acquired by Facebook for an estimated $80 million+, facial tagging clearly at the forefront, from Engadget http://engt.co/LWNtWS

brianduprix:

Microsoft Surface tablets: the differences between Windows RT and Windows 8 Pro models, from Engadget http://engt.co/KZggXq

Social Media Cheat Sheet

Link: Social Media Cheat Sheet

soupsoup:

I started a public document on Google which I shared hoping people would add their own tips about best practices for Social Media when it comes to news gathering and distributing news. I decided to post it here as well in its current form. If you’d like to add your own tips, click the link above.

Twitter

• Build lists of sources using Twitter lists. Use this to get ahead of your competition, news breaks on Twitter more often now than it does on mainstream news sources. (How to create Twitter Lists)


• Follow accounts that help inform you about the topics you cover and retweet important news they share to inform your followers. Retweet your competition, if you’re sharing the best news from everywhere, people will follow you for everything they need to know.


• Use TweetDeck to monitor multiple lists on one screen, I prefer the old version of Tweetdeck because it has more options.


• Hand craft your tweets for all your new articles. Ask questions. “Do you agree with my take here?” “Is _______ the next great point guard?” Questions have the highest engagement and will help build your audience. (But if you ask questions, have some intention of using the feedback in some way - otherwise it’s faux engagement)


• Share interesting articles by other people. Retweet great articles that they link to on their own Twitter accounts.


• Use hashtags like #wikileaks #syria #ows related to your topic etc so your tweets are seen by a larger audience.


• Do Twitter searches (search.twitter.com) and look up the subjects you write about. Respond to people who tweet about things you’re writing about, get their attention. Don’t link them to your articles right away, build a relationship over time and they’ll follow you and get the links by following your feed.


• Search Topsy.com to find the most relevant and influential tweets


• Search Research.ly’s PeopleBrowsr for old tweets that you might need. Enter in a keyword or a username, and you can search a number of days back (like 60 days back for 2 months ago) to narrow your search. They go back about 2 years for free right now.


• Read “The 100 Twitter Rules To Live By” and live by them


• Sign up for a free @muckrack account and get daily digests of top journalists’ tweets about your subject of interest. Crucial for journos & PR pros.


• Use MuckRack.com as a way to find journalists by company or by beat and add them to Twitter lists to monitor news that breaks in those topics.


• Incredible curation tools guide that I was sent this AM (via @scoopit):


• Consider balancing the types of tweets with a ratio of posts addressing: (1) what you do; (2) what you love; and (3) who you are.


• Use a URL shortening service, like http://bit.ly so you maximize the room you have to share information in your tweets and so you can track how many people are clicking and sharing your tweet. Try to keep your Tweets under 120 characters so others can add comments to your tweet in a RT.


• Don’t start tweets with a Twitter handle unless you want that Tweet to be seen by a limited audience (by the person whose handle you’ve started the Tweet with, and only anyone who follows both of you)


• Another good place to build source lists is with directories that media companies offer: New York Times and Reuters for example


• Be careful about the sources you find on Twitter. Verify before you retweet and add a caveat if you’re unsure. When in doubt, don’t tweet and spread misinformation, dig deeper and verify first. There’s no harm in asking questions, sometimes crowdsourcing can help verify. “Is _____ a legitimate account/source?” Consider using a service like Storyful to help verify socially sourced reports.


• Credit your sources with a hat tip, a retweet, anything. People are appreciative to see their content (or their find) shared.

Facebook

• Turn on Subscribe feature on your personal Facebook. This will let you share stuff you only want to share with the people who you want to receive it.


• Run polls asking people what they think about a specific story or subject. In a sports example, who do they think is the best player at any given position, or anything else that will drive debate and comments. Do they think the Goldman Sachs’ resignation letter author is sincere? Be provocative, get them to think and weigh in.


• Post videos and photos, don’t just make it a feed with all links to your articles. Mix it up.


• Find Facebook Groups related to the subjects you cover. Get involved in the conversations there. Over time they’ll head to your page and then to your website and you’ll build up a readership.


• There are close to a billion people on Facebook, it’s a huge driver of traffic once you get the ball rolling. It won’t happen overnight but it’s worth putting in the time because you’ll eventually have a reliable major source of traffic to your website.


• Create an interest list that focuses on a topic you want to help gather information about, or to make it easy for people to follow other people with similar interests. Example: Reuters Journalists list

Tumblr

• Get on Tumblr and share your articles. Follow people who write about the topics you cover, follow people who blog about college sports if that’s your focus. Reblog their posts and they’ll follow you back.


• I try to reblog and share more than I post of my own. I do about a 40/60 split between my content and the content I share of others. (I run http://sbnation.tumblr.com)


• Tag your posts #gif #tech #news #politics #news #sports #collegefb #collegebb #basketball #football etc so they’re seen by tag editors who will then promote them on the respective tag pages. You can find widely used tags at http://www.tumblr.com/explore.

Pinterest

• Originate all pins to places on your Website or social sites so that re-pins always come back to you.

Other

• Keep an eye on your competitors. Watch what they’re doing, steal some of their good ideas and put your own spin on them. Over time you’ll build a friendly relationship with some of them and they may actually link to your stuff, you should do the same. There’s a link economy when it comes to blogs and it’s built on sharing each other’s stuff, it helps make your own content stronger and more well rounded and vice versa.


• Using a tool like TrendSpottr for real-time viral content discovery can also help to identify emerging stories that have high viral potential and engagement. It identifies the top trending content (links, hashtags, sources) for any keyword, topic or even Twitter list URL. GT example, this is a link to find the most trending content about Syria in real time. For HootSuite users, TrendSpottr is also available in HootSuite’s new App Directory. Useful overview videos also available.


• Use Storify to combine different types of social content and add context between them to make it more understandable in a narrative format.


• Use Storyful.com/pro to help verify reports and tweets you see on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. Follow @StoryfulPro on Twitter to see alerts, curated Twitter Lists and links to verified content on http://storyful.com/pro Requests and questions can be sent to Storyful’s global team of curators 24/7 on curator@storyful.com


• Consider offering readers a way to ask questions and receive a video answer. There’s ways to explain via video that you can’t quite get across via text. One recommendation is to use something like VYou.com. Answers can be archived and accessed by other readers. Can eventually act as an FAQ.

Quora

• A place to ask questions and showcase your knowledge on a subject.


• One example of a great, useful Quora thread: How does an investigative reporter get started?


• Could also be used for readers to ask questions to understand more about complicated subjects: What exactly is a Credit Default Swap?

cnet:

Is this Facebook phone likely?

A slick Facebook phone concept has surfaced but it’s of dubious usefulness.

Read more

cnet:

Wrapping up Apple’s WWDC Keynote:

First Take: Apple MacBook Pro with Retina Display
Apple: 30B apps downloaded, 400M App Store accounts set up
Apple’s Mac base hits 66M users, 40 percent on Lion
Siri gets smarter, can launch apps
Apple: 365 million iOS devices sold; 80 percent running iOS 5
Apple unveils iOS 6 with 200 new features, Siri gets update
Apple’s Power Nap lets Macs update while asleep
Apple talks up Facebook integration for iOS 6
Apple shows some love for photo and video pro

arstechnica:

Rock solid: Ubuntu 12.04 and the Unity HUD reviewed. Full story

Thoughts On The Latest Chromebook And The State Of Chrome OS

parislemon:

I’ve watched Chrome with much interest over the years. While lately I’ve been generally harsh on a number of Google products, there’s still no doubt in my mind that when it comes to the browser — at least on the desktop — Google is winning. That’s a big part of why Chrome OS fascinates me.

Chrome OS is Google taking their best product and broadening its reach. The aim isn’t just to erase the stain that is Internet Explorer (which sure seems to be working), it’s to go after one of Microsoft’s legs: Windows. So far, it doesn’t appear to be working.

Read More

Twitter's new bird logo re-imagined into your favorite characters

bitshare:

Recently Twitter decided to consolidate and unify it’s logo of the Titter bird, changing it slightly. Before the recent change, Twitter had changed their bird logo back in 2010. So in the past two years it’s changed twice. Cartoonist Ape Lad who works for Disney Interactive has illustrated his own interpretations of the Twitter logo of the past two years and morphed them into your favorite characters such as Krusty the Clown, Marilyn Monroe, Woody Woodpecker, The Hulk, Gumby, Star Wars characters and more. Here are some of my favorites.

Read More

Welcome the world's newest superhero, Captain China

bitshare:

A new comic book series has been published in China, called Captain China. The comic is very real, and as you might guess it’s pro-China. Captain China dawns a superhero outfit of China’s national flag with a Chinese military hat to match, and has been brought back to life in modern day to show the growth of China’s economy and China’s world power.

Read More

Twitter unveils it's new simplified bird logo

bitshare:

Twitter just announced that they are doing away with their old Twitter logo and are introducing a newer more simplified logo, which is pictured inset. The old logo was the a very similar looking Twitter bird logo but going horizontally, and now with the new bird it’s in “flight” at an angle. Additionally, some older logos had “Twitter” in it or simply a “t” for Twitter. Now Twitter is taking a unified stance on one consistent logo, for which they posted a video below.

Read More

A total of 8 million passwords were hacked from LinkedIn and eHarmony

bitshare:

Yesterday was not a good day for LinkedIn who confirmed that 6.5 million passwords were hacked and then leaked to the web. Although it’s uncertain exactly what accounts have been compromised, LinkedIn urged all of it’s users to change their passwords immediately. However, more bad news has arrised that eHarmony was hacked too, with 1.5 million passwords being hacked and leaked as well from the online dating website.

Read More

The relaunch of Green Lantern has him coming out as a gay superhero

bitshare:

Well I’m sure this will raise some eyebrows. DC Comics is relaunching the Green Lantern series, which has been a staple of comic book history for the past 70 years. Green Lantern is coming back, or shall I say coming out, and he is arriving with a twist.

Read More

chartier:

There’s a reason RIM got rid of its jobs.rim.com domain a long time ago.

8bitfuture:

Google to unveil their ‘next dimension of maps’.

The big announcement is due this Wednesday morning, where Google will unveil their next moves for Google Maps, ahead of an anticipated announcement by Apple that they will soon be dropping Google Maps on iOS in favour of their own software. Apple’s offering is likely to use the 3D technology acquired in their purchase of C3 technologies last year - an announcement on that is due at the Apple WWDC on June 11.

At this invitation-only press gathering, Brian McClendon, VP of Google Maps and Google Earth, will give you a behind-the-scenes look at Google Maps and share our vision. We’ll also demo some of the newest technology and provide a sneak peek at upcoming features that will help people get where they want to go – both physically and virtually. We hope to see you there.

hautepop:

Alice in Wonderland + the Matrix
Formative cultural experiences of my teens both
American McGee’s Alice turned up at much the same time too

All at essence the same opportunity: ways of realising there were more interesting spaces out there than the social & geographical milieu I was growing up in - and ways of learning how to access them.

Couple of days ago someone wrote an article about Internet K-Holes.
Nice metaphor.
Slightly different kind of space.

shaneguiter:

Uh…I need this setup. -Shane